


Live in Three...Two...Love

by BuLlEtNiPpLeS, CrowleyLovesUSUK



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Destiel - Freeform, Doctor Gabriel, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Gabriel Being Gabriel (Supernatural), Gabriel as a kid sucks at feelings, Gabriel goes on "dates" with different guys, Gabriel/Various Male and Female Contestants (non-explicit), Librarian Sam, M/M, Mentions of character death/illness/etc, Sabriel - Freeform, Sam is still in love with Gabriel, School bullies(past), Slow Burn, Switch Gabriel, Switch Sam Winchester, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, We are assuming that it's a slow burn--it might not be--this is all a freaking mystery right now, dating show, light dom/sub play, nerdy sam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2019-11-26 16:52:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 76,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18183248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuLlEtNiPpLeS/pseuds/BuLlEtNiPpLeS, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrowleyLovesUSUK/pseuds/CrowleyLovesUSUK
Summary: Awkward, chubby teenager Sam Winchester spent his high school years enduring endless bullying, mostly from his secret crush, Gabriel Novak, the older brother of Sam’s best friend Cas.Twenty years later, Sam is grown up, successful, and has a rock hard six pack—but he refuses to date, too skittish due to his past. When his older brother, Dean, musters out of the Army, he convinces Sam to join him and sign up to be on the nation’s hottest reality dating show. Sam reluctantly goes along with his brother’s plan, hoping to simply earn enough ‘easy money’ to pay off his student loans. Once on set, living in a luxurious Montana Ranch, Sam begins to relax and finally enjoy himself...until HE walks out.Who knew that the ‘bachelor’ they were vying for would be none other than the man that Sam could never seem to get over—Gabriel Novak.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of pure fiction, based off of the Bachelor tv show. Gabriel DOES go on dates with other people during the course of this fic. He will NOT be doing anything explicit with anyone EXCEPT for Sam. Do not worry my sweets. 
> 
> We do not own Supernatural or anything to do with any sort of reality dating shows. 
> 
> This is a primarily Sabriel story. The Destiel is a secondary relationship and we haven’t decided if it will be explicit just yet. You have been warned. 
> 
> There IS bullying (yes, between the boys) during flashbacks on occasion. Gabe is going to have his work cut out for him to redeem himself to his Samshine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some scars run deep...

__

 

 

_January 3rd, Twenty years ago…_

 

It had been the longest two weeks of Sam Winchester’s life.  Like all teenagers, he looked forward to Winter Break and the unlimited reading time it allowed, but this year was different.  Sam could think of nothing else beyond returning to school and opening the door to his locker.

For weeks leading up to the break, Sam had been wooed. Someone—a ‘secret admirer’—had been leaving notes and the occasional gift in Sam’s locker.  When the first note had arrived, Sam barely read it before becoming suspicious that someone had found a way to break into his personal space. The words on the page had eventually gotten through to him, seducing the tall fifteen year old with surprisingly excellent grammar, as well as truly heartfelt emotion.

It wasn’t long before Sam had forgotten all about the breach into his privacy and found himself looking forward to what new thing he would find perched on the small shelf.  His favorite had been a small box of raisin cookies that had been accompanied by a note explaining that they were gluten free treats and that Sam’s eyes were ‘mesmerizing.’

On the last day of classes, there had been a large candy cane with a note telling Sam to expect something very special when they all returned from break. ‘Love, Your Secret Admirer,’ hastily scrawled on the bottom of the paper, as always. Sam had been on pins and needles the entire time.  He had absolutely no idea who might be attempting to court him—but he did have some hopes. Whenever he’d read the words of the various sweet letters, he’d always pictured the same amber eyes and laughing smile.

He couldn’t concentrate on any of his novels as he tried and failed to stay busy with his favorite pastime.  He even had trouble connecting with his older brother Dean, who had managed to secure a few days of leave from his post as a corporal in the Army.  Dean had noticed how jittery his little brother was, but he hadn’t commented, and for that, Sam was grateful. He didn’t want to tell Dean about this—his naturally suspicious big brother would find a way to ruin it for certain.  Sam wanted to keep this to himself, just a bit longer. He had so few things in his life that made him this happy. He wanted it to last.

The high school was less than a mile from the small apartment where Sam lived.  Technically, Dean was his guardian, and he had rented the place a few years back.  When Dean enlisted, he’d worked things out with the court to have their Uncle Bobby keep an eye on Sam, still allowing the mature young teen to live basically on his own. Sam liked the arrangement.  He enjoyed the solitude—and in all honesty, he was far more financially responsible than Dean ever had been.

Sam had spent the night tossing and turning, willing sleep to come.  It never did. When his abnormally early alarm blared into the dark room, Sam was already awake.  He had hurried through his shower and was fully dressed within the hour. He practically inhaled a granola bar as he ran out and began jogging toward the school.

The campus was relatively empty this early in the morning. The teachers and staff were around, readying themselves for the day.  He spotted a few fellow overachievers wandering the halls, including his best friend, Castiel Novak.

Cas had moved to town sometime that summer, along with his older brother, Gabriel, and their reclusive father. Castiel didn’t talk about his mom.  Sam was curious, but he understood. He didn’t talk about his own mother very often either. When the person who is always supposed to be there for you dies before you can even remember them, it tended to take a toll. Sam didn’t know if Cas’ mom was dead, or just out of the picture, and he refused to pry.

“Hey!” Sam slowed down as he drew level with his quiet friend. “How was your break?”

“Mostly uneventful,” Cas smiled at him. “I did manage to finish reading ‘Lord of the Flies’ though, so I am pleased.”

“You know that they assigned that book to read in March, right?” Sam laughed. “You’re way ahead.”

“I am aware,” Cas managed an unusually impish grin. “I enjoy being prepared.”

Sam smiled, but shifted his weight impatiently as he thought about getting to his locker to see what had been left for him. “Are you all right, Sam?”

“Yeah,” Sam said. “I just—I have to check something. I’ll see you in biology, okay?”

Cas nodded at him as Sam took back off down the hall.  Sam had never told Cas about the notes and gifts. His friend was far too serious to get excited over something as sappy as a secret admirer. And also, like Dean, Cas would probably be suspicious about who was behind it all.

As Sam neared his locker, he noticed that the air in the hallway smelled off. It was sharp and pungent—almost rancid. There were a few students clustered a few feet down, all digging through their own lockers and complaining about the smell, noses wrinkled. Sam’s forehead furrowed as he drew near the number 815.  His locker.

He didn’t even have to open the door to realize that the horrible stench filling his nostrils was coming from inside _his_ locker. Sam swallowed thickly, trying not to gag.  His mouth set, he spun the dial of the lock. He didn’t want to think about what could be inside, but he had a pretty good idea based on the smell alone. He fumbled with the combination and ended up having to go through it twice before the door clicked open.

Sam closed his eyes for a moment and let out a breath.  He flung the locker door open and jumped back with a yelp as dozens of small, dead fish poured out of his locker and onto the tile floor.  “What the fuck?” Sam shouted.

He could see mold forming on some of the carcasses as the fish’s dead little eyes stared up at him from the pile on the ground.  Sam pulled his gaze away, glancing up into his locker. There, taped to the shelf was a note addressed to him. Gingerly, Sam pulled the tape away and opened the fishy smelling paper.

There was a picture of a school of fish smack dab in the center, along with familiar handwriting.

_‘Did you really think that anyone could ever like your giant freak ass? You’ve just been ‘schooled’—Loser.  Love, Your Secret Admirer.’_

Sam gulped and crumpled the note into a ball.  His hands curled into fists and he felt his face heat, even as a tear forced itself out of the corner of his eye. If anyone noticed, he could explain it away due to the smell. He wasn’t going to cry over this. He absolutely wasn’t.  He refused to give anyone the satisfaction of making him cry.

From behind him, the loud cackle of multiple voices burst out. Sam spun around and saw a group of roughly twelve boys and girls, mostly upperclassmen—all of them popular. They were laughing.  At him. Some of the girls were pointing, their perfectly made up faces twisted in sick amusement, even as they pinched their noses to avoid the pungent smell of rotting fish. The boys were all clapping each other on the back and snorting with mirth.

In the center of all of them stood Cas’ older brother Gabriel Novak. The rather short junior had made a name for himself at the school as a prankster. He always had a joke at the ready and claimed to ‘live for the good times.’  He’d never been outright _cruel_ —and especially not to Sam.  In the last few months, Sam had come to think that Gabriel almost enjoyed his company whenever he and Cas had studied together.  The look on Gabriel’s face told another story. He was smirking up at Sam, his eyes glittering.

“Hey Samuel,” Gabriel said.  “I see you’ve been getting my notes.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed.  He’d secretly hoped that the notes had been from the older Novak. Sam knew that he wasn’t exactly subtle with the longing looks to his best friends big brother. And now that he knew the object of his affections _was_ behind the whole thing, Sam wasn’t happy—he was sick.  “Those were from _you_?”

Gabriel snickered and gestured at the pile of dead fish at Sam’s feet. “Especially this one.”

The crowd of popular students burst out laughing once more and Sam felt his eyes prick with tears. More students had begun to gather, noticing the commotion and jeering.  Sam’s face was red with humiliation and what bordered on fury.

“Oh wow,” a cheerleader named Amelia shouted. “The giant moose is going to _cry_!”

Peals of laughter surrounded Sam, rushing into his ears and making the world seem to spin.  He felt dizzy and he couldn’t catch his breath. Just as he thought he was going to tip over, strong arms circled his waist, hoisting him upright.  “That’s enough!” Sam vaguely registered Castiel’s deep voice addressing the other students. “You’ve had your fun—childish as it is—now back off!” The tone didn’t allow for anyone to disobey.

The clusters of students began to wander off, many of them glancing at the pile of stinking fish bodies.  Some made comments—none of them nice. Cas glared at each person as they walked away. Gabriel was the last to leave. He stared at the two misfits for a moment, something odd flashing across his features. But he didn’t speak. None of them did. Gabriel ducked his head almost imperceptibly toward Sam before spinning on his yellow Converse and trotting away.

“Oh, Sam,” Cas murmured once they were alone.

Sam couldn’t seem to hold his emotions back any longer. When the hallway was empty, save for his best friend and a pile of deceased sea life, Sam burst into tears.  Cas patted his back and kept saying that he was ‘sorry,’ despite none of it being his fault. Sam felt pathetic. He felt used and humiliated and nauseous.

That night, after he’d returned to the empty apartment, Sam threw away all of the notes and whatever remained of the secret admirer gifts. He knew that he would never tell Dean what had happened, because his older brother would likely want to punch someone.  Despite how horrible Gabriel’s ‘trick’ had been, Sam didn’t want Dean to kill him. Some sick and twisted part of Sam still cared about Gabriel. Which made him want to actually vomit.

Sam got into bed that night, the smell of fish still surrounding him and forced himself not to cry. He went about his days, trying to remain as anonymous as he possibly could until graduation, two years later. He never forgot what had happened, and he carried the experience with him. Sam Winchester told himself that he would never love someone—and he’d never eat fish—for as long as he lived.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't ever do this, this is terrible and scarring. Gabe--Shame on you!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam is all grown up.  
> Dean is foot loose and fancy free.  
> Gabe doesn't back down when he wants something.

_Present Day..._

The small bell over the shop’s door rang out merrily and Sam didn’t even bother to look up. Someone else would deal with the customers up front, _he_ was busy. The delicately bound book on the table in front of him was open near the center and Sam was carefully turning each and every page. _‘One hundred thirty-seven...one hundred thirty-eight.’_ Sam was meticulous as he counted, determined not to lose his place.  

One of the more un-exciting parts of his job at ‘The Weathered Page,’ a rare bookshop deep in the heart of New York City, was to count the pages of new acquisitions. If any page, even a blank one at the beginning of the book was missing, the value would decrease drastically.  It wasn’t particularly thrilling, but Sam found the rhythmic turning of pages and the counting to be rather soothing. His coworkers had teased him about how he seemed to lose track of time in the back ‘counting room.’

“Hey, Sam,” a girlish voice called out from the front of the store.

Sam ignored it, resolutely _not_ answering his coworker, Becky.  “One hundred thirty-nine,” Sam intoned out loud. “One hundred forty.”

“Sam!”

“One hundred forty-one. I’m busy, Becky,” Sam clenched his teeth.  Becky was bubbly and somewhat odd. She was also quite attracted to Sam and made no bones about her blatant flirting with him, despite his numerous rejections. He was sure that she just wanted to say something slightly creepy and try to touch his hair again.

“I’m aware that you’re counting,” Becky sounded uncharacteristically serious.  “But there’s someone who wants to talk to you?”

“A customer?” Sam bit his lip and turned another page with care. “One hundred forty-three.”

“You missed ‘one hundred forty-two,’” Becky said helpfully.

“Fuck!” Sam gingerly let go of the book and glared up at Becky. “Can’t Marv deal with it?”

“The guy asked for you,” Becky shrugged. “He said he ran across a signed and numbered first edition of Stephen King’s _‘The Stand.’”_

Sam’s eyes blew wide and his jaw actually dropped open as he stared at the blonde girl. “Are you fucking with me?”  

He didn’t wait for an answer before he was pushing past Becky and almost sprinting toward the front of the shop where most of their retail business occurred.  The owner of the place, a surly middle-aged man named Marv was bustling around, ignoring everything around him. Sam almost tripped over his boss as he plowed toward the customer who had said the ‘magic words.’  “Sorry Marv,” Sam muttered, not sparing the shorter man a glance.

A broad shouldered man in a beaten brown leather jacket was poking around near the door, his back to Sam.  “Hello, sir,” Sam began as he approached. “I understand that you have a—“. Sam clicked his jaw shut as the customer turned to face him. “You’re an asshole,” he grimaced.

“Come on!” his brother Dean’s face broke into a huge smile. “I knew you wouldn’t crawl out of your hole to see me unless I tempted you!”

“You know that I’ve been looking for that specific book since I was nine years old,” Sam pulled a face as his shorter, yet older, brother pulled him in for a hug.

“I know,” Dean clapped him on the back. “And I still have faith that you’ll find it one day.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Dean looked at him oddly before letting out a short laugh. “Dude,” Dean said. “I didn’t re-up.  I was honorably discharged, like, three days ago.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I left a message on your cell.”

Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was dead. It _had_ been dead for a day or so, he was sure of that. “Oh,” was all he could manage.

“I figured I’d come bother you for a bit,” Dean grinned. “See what kind of trouble my baby bro is up to.”  Dean peered over Sam’s shoulder and did a strange finger wave. Sam spun around and saw Becky leaning by the register and smiling at them. “She’s kind of cute,” Dean pointed out in a whisper.

“She’s also clingy and super weird,” Sam hissed back. “And besides, you know I don’t date.”

“A situation that should—and _will_ —be remedied,” Dean slung his arm around Sam with a grin.

Sam knew that tone. He narrowed his eyes at Dean and pressed his lips into a line. “Dean?  What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Dean protested.  The brothers eyed one another for a minute before Dean broke, as he always did.  “Okay,” he relented. “You know that reality dating show? _‘The One?’_ ”

Sam shook his head, something akin to bile collecting in his stomach. “I don’t really watch TV,” he said.

Behind him, Becky squealed and clapped her hands. “That show is _so_ romantic,” she announced. “Last season when they went on the candlelight dates and when the last person was left with the glass of champagne and—“

“You _watch_ that?” Sam wrinkled his nose and looked at his brother in confusion.

“No,” Dean scoffed. “Okay, fine,” he said a moment later. “My old Captain watched it so he had something to talk about with his wife.  It’s compelling.”

“Right,” Sam glanced between his brother and Becky.  “What does some girly reality show have to do with us?”

“I signed us up,” Dean almost shouted, running all the words together so that Sam almost missed what he had said.  Almost.

“You what?” he screeched. “You signed us up for a dating show? That will air on _television_? What is wrong with you?” Sam could feel his heart rate actually speeding up. “I don’t date!”

“Hey,” Dean slid up next to him. “Woah, breathe.”  Dean rubbed Sam’s back as the taller sibling bent over at the waist, heaving. “I thought it would be fun,” Dean tried after Sam had caught his breath and began to stare him down.  “You know, kill two birds with one stone and all that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Sam pulled away and went to lean his back against the wooden counter of the store’s register.

Dean shrugged. “I don’t exactly have a job yet,” he started. “And these people _pay._  It’s easy money, Sammy.  The shooting schedule said about three months if we make it to the end and the pay rate they gave,” Dean grinned. “It would come out to a little over fifteen thousand bucks!”

That made Sam pause. New York City wasn’t exactly a cheap place to live—and he still had student loans. Enough that they cut into his savings severely and were basically a pain in the ass.  He’d been paying them down for years and still had almost twelve thousand left to go. A fifteen grand payday would be a miracle—life changing even. “Fifteen _thousand_?” Sam asked.

Dean nodded, his eyes glimmering with hope. “For three months.”  Dean winked at him. “Plus, you never know—you might even like the guy and end up popping your cherry.”

“I’m not a virgin,” Sam grunted lowly.

“Sure, Sammy,” Dean teased him affectionately.

“Wait,” Sam paused and looked at his brother. “Did you say _guy_?  As in, we’d be dating a dude?”

“Yeah,” Dean shrugged. “What?  Did you suddenly go full Straight while I was overseas?  Because I remember you being very passionate about liking all kinds of ‘flavors,’” Dean wiggles his eyebrows at Sam.

“I’m Bi,” Sam said firmly. “But...I thought _you_...” He trailed off, looking at his brother.

Dean chuckled at him. “You know me,” Dean smiled. “I’m a sucker for blue eyes and once I got into it, I kind of realized that dicks are sort of hot too.”

“Oh my god,” Sam hissed, eyeing Becky who was outright laughing.  He couldn’t see Marv, but he knew his boss was nearby because he could hear the shuffling of his footsteps. “Keep your voice down, Dean!  This is my job!”

“You’re such a little prude, Samantha,” Dean cuffed him on the shoulder.  “Come on,” Dean’s face sobered. “What do you say? Will you do the show with me?”

“Sam,” Becky piped up, clasping her hands together. “You would look so good in HD on my television!  All of your rippling muscles and your silken locks, digitally preserved on my DVR.”

“Okay,” Dean said slowly, drawing the word out. He gave Becky a thoroughly disturbed look.  “You’re right, she’s creepy,” he whispered to Sam.

“I don’t know, Dean,” Sam hesitated.

“Samuel Winchester,” a voice rang out from behind the nearest bookshelf. They all turned and looked up as Marv came around the corner, tugging on his moth-eaten cardigan. “You’ve worked here for five years and I’ve never seen you date _anyone_.”

“Um,” Sam wasn’t sure how to respond to his boss.

“I know you love your work,” Marv continued.  “But there is more to life than books.” Sam’s brow furrowed at those words. “And kid,” Marv stared him down, “you really need to get laid.”

Three mouths dropped open at the words. Dean and Becky recovered first, both of them trying not to laugh while Sam’s brain short-circuited. His middle-aged boss who _lived_ for his solitude and his precious novels thought that Sam needed sex. Well. That settled it. If freaking _Marv_ thought he needed to get out more, then he probably _did_.  “I can’t just leave my job,” Sam tried weakly, once more.

“I’m always down for extra hours,” Becky chirped.

Marv smiled at him, his eyes flashing. “I’ll keep your job for you,” the bookstore owner said. “Providing you don’t fall madly in love with this bachelor and move away.”

Sam let out a weak laugh and looked at the three people around him.  They all seemed to be waiting for him to speak. “Okay,” he said finally.  “I’ll do it.” Dean let out a whoop and even Becky and Marv did a weird little dance. “For the _money_ ,” Sam clarified. “I’m doing it for the money.  That’s _all_.”

“Sure, Sammy,” Dean laughed. “You gotta get home and pack,” he announced.

“What? Why?”

“Because our flight to Montana for filming leaves tomorrow morning,” Dean said, turning away.

“You couldn’t give me _any_ more notice?” Sam sighed.  Dean just stared at him without remorse. “Fine. Okay.  Let’s go.”

Sam ambled to the back of the store and grabbed his green canvas jacket from a hook in Marv’s office. As they were leaving, Becky shot forward and grabbed Sam’s sleeve. "Sam,” she said, her eyes boring into him. “I’ll record _every_ episode of you.”

He just nodded and followed Dean out of the shop. “You’re right,” Dean commented casually as they walked toward Sam”s studio apartment. “That chick’s pretty weird.”

“Tell me about it.”

 

X x X

 

Doctor Gabriel Novak leaned back in his chair, his favorite scuffed yellow Converse resting on a pile of paperwork on the desk’s surface. He had a tootsie pop in his mouth and a cocky smirk on his lips as he watched the incredibly small redhead sitting opposite him.  When she’d first walked in, and introduced herself as Rowena MacLeod, the producer of _‘The One,’_ Gabriel had been slightly intrigued. Ten minutes later, however, he’d tuned her lilting Scottish accent out and concentrated on rolling the candy around his tongue.  He could see her mouth moving, but he wasn’t paying her any attention.

“Gabriel.”

The surgeon looked up at the other person in his office, his little brother, Castiel.  Cassie was squinting at him and looking serious, which was normal, so Gabe didn’t really think anything of it. “What?”

“Ms. MacLeod asked you if you would be willing to film some of the more,” Cas cleared his throat, “ _intimate_ moments of the courtships?”

Gabe stared at his brother and the tiny female producer, popping the sucker out of his mouth. “Sorry, bro,” Gabe said. “I lost interest when the little witch said I wouldn’t be permitted to mention my charity during filming.”

“It would be considered free advertisement and would therefore require more contracts drawn up,” Rowena narrowed her eyes.

“So draw them up,” Gabe said simply.

“Gabriel,” Cas hissed.

“What, Cas?” Gabe began to lose his legendary temper and snapped at his brother.

“You were the one who wanted to do this show,” Cas reminded him. “Even after I informed you that I would prefer you weren’t involved with my profession.”  Gabe rolled his eyes and kicked his feet onto the floor. “You have made a commitment, and you’re embarrassing me in front of my boss.”

“Sorry, bro,” Gabriel sounded _anything_ but apologetic. “Forgive me for not wanting to work with people who refuse to allow me to talk about the most important thing in my life!”

“We understand that the charity is important to you, Mr. Novak,” Rowena began.

“ _Doctor,”_ Gabriel interrupted her in a forceful tone. “I didn’t go to med school for fun, you know.”

“Doctor,” she amended, even going so far as to bat her eyelashes.

“Gabriel, you’re going to get me fired,” Cas said lowly.

“Red’s not going to fire you,” Gabe smiled thinly at him.

“Of course not,” Rowena agreed, but she still shot a glare at the younger man.  “What if I have the papers drawn up that you can mention the charity to prospective dates in the instance of getting to know one another—not to plug for money?”

“I would _never_ do that,” Gabriel smiled at her.

“Yes, you would,” Castiel muttered.

“Look, Rowena?” Gabe leveled the beautiful producer with a look.  “This charity is very near and dear to my heart. A lot of my mastectomy work is done pro bono for women who can’t afford the procedure. Even _more_ of my implant and reconstructive surgeries are done for women who can’t afford it, and still want their tits back for _whatever_ reason after kicking cancer in the ass.”  He took a breath and glanced at Castiel, who was silent and staring at the floor.  “It’s a big part of my life and it _will_ come up in conversation.”

“We can compromise,” Rowena soothed.

“If you get that paperwork here for me to sign, I’ll let you film me fucking, got it?” Gabriel smiled ferally.

Rowena matched his look. “Deal.”  They shook hands firmly as Cas groaned from his chair in the corner.

Once the predatory producer had left, Gabriel counted to ten in his head, waiting for his brother to voice his concerns. Cas started speaking when Gabe hit the number eight. “I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

“Hopefully I’ll be getting into an available, attractive man who wants to settle down with a slightly eccentric surgeon who works shitty hours,” Gabe retorted.

“You know what I mean,” Cas glanced at the closed office door. “You lied on your application.”

“No I didn’t,” Gabe waved his hand.

“They’re looking for a bisexual man,” Cas continued.

“I’m bi,” Gabriel opened a desk drawer and rummaged through the various candies.

“You’re going to get diabetes, and you’re gay,” his brother told him.

Gabe pulled out an unwrapped lemon drop and threw at it Castiel, bouncing it off of his sibling’s forehead. “I’m _not_ going to get diabetes,” he said. “Which one of us is the medical professional here?  And also, I _am_ bi, I just lean toward the dick a bit more and haven’t been with a woman since undergrad. Whatever. It’s fine.”

“They’re going to be suspicious if you kick all of the female contestants off right away,” Cas rubbed his head where the candies had struck him.

“So I’ll keep a few on for a while,” Gabe said casually. “Not a big deal.” He smiled at his brother. “Stop worrying. This is a good thing. I don’t have time, or desire, to actually date, and the hospital is giving me the leave in exchange for the good publicity.”  Gabe got up and walked around the desk to poke at his brother’s cheek, which never failed to upset the younger Novak. “Plus we’ll get to hang out for a few months! And I might end up meeting my future husband,” Gabe mused. “Wouldn’t you love to be able to talk about the moment I see him during your Best Man speech?”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, as usual,” Cas grumbled.

“I’m going after what I want,” Gabriel corrected him with a laugh. “I would have been drummed out of my surgical residency if I wasn’t proactive.”

Castiel just looked up at him. “Don’t put my job in jeopardy,” he requested.  “And don’t let anyone film you having sex!”

“I’ll do my best, baby bro,” Gabe smacked him affectionately on the shoulder. “Come on,” he pulled Cas toward the door.  “That really good taco truck is parked across the street. Let’s get a couple—extra spicy—and head back to my place so I can pack for tomorrow.”

“One of these days you’re going to get food poisoning from one of those unsanitary food trucks,” Castiel protested.

“You read the reviews for the taco truck, didn’t you?”

“Of course.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Gabriel told his brother affectionately.

They rode the elevator down to the hospital's lobby in silence. As they moved to exit the building and head for the food truck parked outside, Cas turned to his older brother with a small smile. “Gabriel,” he said. “I’m glad you got your way about the charity.  You’re right. Those women _do_ deserve the help you give them.”

Gabe tilted his head, surprised at his normally stoic brother’s strange show of emotion. “Cassie?  Do you have a fever?”

“Mom would be proud of you,” Castiel said softly.

The Novak siblings stared at one another for a beat, both men willing themselves not to tear up. “Shut up and come eat these under-cooked tacos with me,” Gabriel said after a moment’s composure.

They ordered their food—extra spicy—and didn’t speak of the show, or their family for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, if Metatron thinks you need some action then Sammy--you NEED laid!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters arrive in Montana.  
> Dean meets someone tempting.  
> Sam wants to go home.

No one was ever going to convince Dean that airplanes were natural. They were an abomination, and that was science. He set his jaw as he and Sam waited at the small baggage carousel in the Missoula, Montana airport.  Sam was playing with his phone, ignoring him, and Dean was pretending that his hands weren’t still shaking. Fucking planes.

 

The carousel began to move and both of the Winchesters spared it a glance.  Dean shifted on his feet and shot a look at Sam. His brother had ignored him the entire flight, hooked into the plane’s WiFi, streaming videos. Sam knew how much Dean hated flying. It was unusual for his brother to leave him to fend for himself on a plane.  Dean wasn’t sure what that meant.

 

Two beat up, army issue, canvas duffles fell down the chute and began to move toward them. He elbowed Sam in the ribs and got a glare in return. Dean pointed to their bags which made Sam roll his eyes. Younger siblings were _so_ much fun.  Once they had their things, the two brothers began to walk toward the glass doors of the airport. “So, what do we do now?” Dean asked as they stepped out into the sun.

 

“You didn’t read the emailed instructions?” Sam asked. Dean just shrugged and shaded his eyes with his palm.

 

“Sam?  Dean?” A voice came from behind them. The brothers whirled and found a small man—a kid, really—standing in front of them looking horrifically nervous. He didn’t look much older than eighteen.  

 

“Who are you?” Dean asked coldly.

 

“I’m Kevin,” the guy said. “Kevin Tran.  I’m a cameraman on _The One_.  You’re the Winchester brothers, right?”

 

“Right,” said Sam, as Dean commented, “Yeah.”

 

“Well, I’m your ride,” Kevin nodded toward the parking lot.

 

They hitched their bags over their shoulders and followed Kevin Tran, cameraman, out toward the lot. A rusty blue sedan was parked almost in the first space, the front tires encroaching on the reserved handicapped spot next to it.  “Nice parking job, Cher Horowitz!” Dean quipped. Both Sam and Kevin looked at him oddly.

 

“Who?” Sam asked.

 

“You’ve never seen _Clueless_?” Dean groaned. “Sammy. Really?”  Kevin followed Sam in shaking their heads. “She’s learning to drive and doesn’t want to learn parking because…” Dean trailed off.  “It’s not funny if I have to explain it.”

 

Sam tossed his bag into the trunk and walked around to the passenger seat. “Sorry,” Kevin said after a beat. “It’s hard to get into the lines sometimes.  I was in a hurry because I was running late to get you.”

 

“Have you been driving long?” Dean struggled with something to say to Kevin’s statement.

 

“Yeah,” the kid nodded. “I got my license two years ago.  On the first try too!”

 

Dean tried not to pout as he slid into the backseat of the car.  Sammy always managed to call shotgun before him. “So, you didn’t get your license at sixteen then?  Maybe waited until you were in college?”

 

“No, I did,” Kevin said brightly, buckling himself in. “Got it on my birthday.”

 

“You’re eighteen?” Dean looked at him.

 

“Yeah,” Kevin backed out of his ‘spot’ and narrowly missed the curb as they started forward again. “This is my summer internship before I’m off to Yale.  I deferred my first semester. I got a full ride though,” Kevin grinned proudly.

 

Dean huffed and fell back against the seat, staring out of the window. He could hear Sam conversing animatedly in the front with Kevin about college life. Sam was smart too—he’d went to Stanford.  Dean was proud of his brother and all of Sam’s accomplishments, but he didn’t know anything about college. He’d enlisted the day he’d passed his GED, and never looked back. He wasn’t book smart like his little brother.  Dean knew that some people might look down on him for his lack of a degree in higher education, and he didn’t give a shit. He was smart in other ways, and he was okay with that. It had taken a lot of years, too many bottles of whiskey, and his old drill instructor, Major Turner, screaming at him for a few hours about his natural talents for Dean to finally accept himself just as he was.

 

“Contestants started arriving three days ago,” Kevin was saying.  “But we had a bunch of you coming in today and no one had the same flight except you guys.  I got roped into chauffeuring.” Kevin was chattering away as they drove along, Dean’s head leaning against the cool glass of the window. “You should have seen one of the guys,” Kevin said. “He brought _four_ designer suitcases, and I heard they were _heavy_!”

 

“Why’d he bring so much?” Dean finally joined in to the conversation. “Don’t they provide us with all those fancy clothes?”

 

Kevin’s eyes met Dean’s in the rear view and the kid looked nervous. “Um, no,” Kevin said in a small voice. “They only provide tuxes or evening gowns for the last three contestants standing.”

 

Dean slumped further into the seat as Sam’s body twisted slowly around so his little brother could glare at him murderously. “So we wear whatever we brought with us until the end?” Sam’s tone was bright as he asked the question, but his eyes were boring holes into Dean.

 

“Yeah,” Kevin said. “You guys didn’t bring much, did you?”

 

“Not a lot, no,” Sam’s teeth were clenched.

 

Dean felt horrible. He’d been watching the show for years in the Army, and he hadn’t lied—it _was_ compelling. But he’d always assumed that the designer duds were handed out so that everyone looked their best. He’d convinced Sam that all they needed were a few flannels, some jeans, and Sam’s Kindle. Apparently he was mistaken.

 

“Hey, that’s okay,” Dean tried to sound cheerful. “Kev, you work in Hollywood, right?”

 

“I guess, but not really,” Kevin said softly.

 

“Isn’t that ‘Lumberjack Chic’ like a _thing_ right now?  We’ll be great!  Everyone loves a man in flannel,” he grinned at Sam, hoping that when the car stopped, that his brother wouldn’t deck him.

 

“You...only have...flannel?” Kevin gaped at Sam before wrenching his eyes back to the road.

 

“Pretty much,” Sam said, his jaw set.

 

“I’m so excited for this,” Kevin whispered to himself.

 

Dean was unsurprised that Sam pouted silently for the rest of the trip.  Roughly an hour later, the car pulled into a paved stone drive that extended far out from the road.  They even crossed an elegant stone bridge over a small, rushing creek on their way to the house. When the sprawling luxury ranch finally came into view, both of the Winchesters had to admit that they were impressed.  Kevin pulled to a stop and all three men leaned forward to take in the sight. “Welcome to Rock Ranch at River Running,” Kevin announced.

 

“That’s a mouthful,” Dean commented.

 

“The town we passed through a few miles back is Deer Glen,” Kevin told them.

 

“Yeah,” Sam replied. “I read about it a little.  It used to be famous for having a lot of old Western films made here.”

 

“Sweet!” Dean grinned. He _loved_ westerns.  Who didn’t want to be a cowboy?

 

“They have a museum with some props and signed posters,” Kevin said.

 

“Oh, we are _so_ doing that,” Dean said.

 

Kevin popped open his door. “I’ll check the registry and see what rooms you’re in.  I think you’ll have about a half an hour to settle in before you have to meet with Ms. MacLeod and...Crowley.”

 

“Crowley is _here_?” Dean tried not to fanboy. He really did.

 

“Who’s Crowley?” Sam wrinkled his nose.

 

“He’s the host of the fucking show, Sam,” Dean said with exasperation.

 

“The really mean little British guy?” Sam asked.

 

“Yes!”

 

“Great,” Sam was sarcastic. “From the few clips I watched on the plane, he seemed like a real asshole.”

 

“He can be,” Kevin whispered.

 

“He _seems_ awesome,” Dean corrected.

 

“You’re a sadist,” Sam grabbed his duffel and followed Kevin up the large stone steps into the ranch.

 

“Crowley’s here,” Dean smiled to himself. “ _Awesome_!”

 

Kevin checked the iPad lying on a table in the foyer before gesturing for the Winchesters to follow him.  They took off down a long hallway, making a few turns before Kevin opened a large wooden door. “Sam, you’ll be in this room with Luke.”

 

“Wait, Sammy and I aren’t staying together?” Dean asked.

 

“No,” Kevin said apologetically. “There was a note on the room assignments about it. Ms. MacLeod is concerned that since you’re brothers that you’ll automatically team up against the other contestants, so she insisted that you be separated.”

 

“It’s fine Dean,” Sam said, beginning to head into his room. “I’ll see you later, I guess?”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Dean grumbled as Kevin led him away.

 

A few doors down, on the opposite side of the hall, Kevin stopped and pointed at another door. “This will be your room Dean,” Kevin said. “You’re sharing with Benny.  I’ve heard he’s nice.”

 

“Great. Thanks,” Dean tried to sound upbeat as Kevin left as quickly as possible.

 

Dean entered the large room and eyed the two beds.  The one by the picturesque window had a folded set of clothes on the edge. There was also a few paperback novels and a framed picture of a large, powerfully built man with—aw, fuck— _blue_ eyes, his arms wrapped around a pale woman.  

 

Tossing his bag on the empty bed, Dean saw an envelope resting on the pillows and snatched it up. There were instructions, a map of the property, a list of rules, and an itinerary. According to _that_ , everyone was due at the outdoor pool in the next fifteen minutes to receive information, _and_ finally meet the bachelor they would all be competing over.

 

Dean breathed a sigh of relief that he _had_ actually packed swim trunks. It had been a last minute addition on the speedy Walmart trip the previous night. Both he and Sam had grabbed cheap, generic suits. Dean’s in a forest green, and Sam’s a bright red. He hurriedly dug them out and discarded his jeans and Henley, pulling the bathing suit on.  Noting that one of the papers left for him announced that towels were available poolside, Dean slipped his dusty work boots back on—no, he did _not_ wear flip flops—and headed into the hall in search of the pool.

 

After a few turns into hallways that all looked the same, Dean was about to give up when he spun around and ran smack into another person. “Shit, I’m sorry,” Dean grunted, stepping away.

 

“It’s perfectly fine,” a deep voice rushed sensually over Dean.

 

He looked up into the _bluest_ eyes that he had ever seen. Dean’s lips fell open and all he could do was blink stupidly at the _gorgeous_ man standing in front of him. “Wow,” he finally breathed.

 

“Are you all right?” The beautiful man asked.

 

“Never better,” Dean said. “Please tell me that you’re the bachelor?” He knew his voice hitched with hopefulness and he honestly didn’t care.

 

Those ocean blue eyes crinkled into a smile. “I’m afraid not,” the man said. “That would be my brother.  I’m simply a cameraman for the show.” He held out a hand, which Dean took eagerly. “I’m Castiel. Castiel Novak.”

 

“I’m Dean.  You know,” Dean hummed thoughtfully, “that’s a really unusual name.”  He paused. “My younger brother had a friend named Castiel in high school.  I never met the kid, but it’s not a name you forget.”

 

Castiel’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought. “Where are you from?”

 

“Kansas.”

 

“Dean...Winchester?” Castiel asked.

 

“How’d you know that?”  Dean looked at him warily.

 

“ _Your_ brother Sam was _my_ friend in high school,” Castiel shook his head in amazement. “Small world.”

 

“You’re telling me,” Dean laughed. “Sam is going to flip when he sees you’re here.  He said you still talk, but that you haven’t met up in years. It’s good to finally meet you, Cas.”

 

Castiel’s face paled slightly. “Sam is...here?”

 

“Yeah, I convinced him to give this reality show dating bullshit a try. He doesn’t date—it’s fucking depressing. And we could both use the cash.”  Dean blinked and just allowed himself to stare into Cas’ eyes. The other man didn’t blink very often and while he enjoyed the extra glimpse of blue, Dean had to admit that it was a tad unsettling.

 

“You’re going to be late,” Cas said suddenly, stepping to the side and pointing toward the other length of hallway.

 

“Yeah, I should go,” Dean said, disappointment settling in his gut. “I’ll see you around though, yeah?”

 

“I hope so, Dean,” Castiel said softly.

 

Dean turned and raced off down the hallway, determined to find the outdoor pool without being tardy. He didn’t see the look of apprehension cross Castiel’s face as he left.

 

Xx  X  xX

 

Sam’s roommate, Luke, wasn’t in residence when Sam walked in. The room was spacious and well-maintained. The decor had clean, modern lines, while still embodying the rustic charm of a sprawling Montana ranch.  Surprisingly enough, the bed closer to the window seemed to be open. The one close to the door had an expensive looking leather briefcase on it and a phone charger plugged in nearby.

 

Walking toward the empty bed, Sam smiled to himself. He wasn’t about to complain about having _that_ view to wake up to each morning. The land around the ranch seemed to stretch for miles.  There was no fencing in sight, but Sam knew there must be. He spotted what looked like a small herd of cows grazing in the distance.  

 

Pulling himself away from the softly rolling hills, tall waving grasses, and domesticated livestock, Sam checked out his space for the foreseeable future.  The embossed linen envelope on his pillow was stuffed full of informational papers—the map looked particularly helpful.

 

Realizing that he had a limited amount of time before things began to ‘get real,’ Sam changed quickly into his brand new pair of swim trunks. He’d rolled his eyes when Dean inisited on buying them, but apparently his brother had the right idea. When Sam thought about it, there had been a lot of clips from previous shows that involved the pool.  

 

At the last minute, before he left the sanctuary of his room, Sam pulled a plain white v-neck shirt over his head. He wasn’t the awkward, chubby mess of his teen years any longer, but some ingrained notions went deep. He’d spent enough time being laughed at for his tall frame and the stubborn chunk of baby fat that settled around his middle back then. Sure, he’d grown up and worked hard for the washboard abs he sported now, but Sam just wasn’t ready to be half naked on television. The producers would understand—he hoped.

 

Sam found the outdoor pool with relative ease, pushing through the gauzy curtains over the large open door and stepping out onto the patio. There was a mixture of people milling about, large brightly colored cocktails in their hands.  Everyone was beautiful and Sam found himself intimidated. He spotted an empty teak wood lounge chair nearby and figured that he may as well try to blend in as best as he could.

 

Glancing around the meticulously designed pool, Sam could see portable lights and numerous cameras set up around the perimeter of the space.  Thankfully, no one seemed to be recording at the moment. Sam took a step and tripped a bit, the lip of his sandal catching on a thick electrical cord running across his path.

 

“Whoa,” a deep voice drawled near Sam’s ear as he was steadied by large hands. “You all right, there?”

 

Sam blinked at the man helping him, almost mesmerized by the drawn out Southern dialect. “Yeah,” he said finally, straightening. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem, brother,” the guy smiled. “My name’s Benny.  You must be one of the Winchester brothers. We were told you two were the last to arrive.”

 

His rescuer, Benny, guided him over to the empty chair that Sam had originally been heading toward.  The guy seemed nice enough, but Sam was just on edge from this entire experience. “Yeah,” he confirmed, as he sat down on the edge of the lounger. “I’m Sam.”  He craned his neck, scanning the rest of the pool area looking for Dean. “I actually don’t see my brother yet though.”

 

“Dean?” Benny asked him.  When Sam nodded, Benny continued. “He’s my roommate.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Sam attempted a joke. “He doesn’t snore.”

 

Benny gave an obligatory chuckle. “It takes a lot to disturb me after I’m down for the night. I’m not worried.”

 

Both men looked up as someone moved to join them. Dean was smiling down at him reassuringly. “Dude, I made it!”

 

“Barely.”

 

Sam spun around at the voice to the chair on his other side, while Benny and Dean looked beyond him to Sam’s ‘neighbor.’  A handsome blonde man was stretched out on the next lounger. He had on bright white, very tight swim trunks and an open linen shirt that showcased his tanned chest. The sunglasses that he was pulling down his nose to stare at them were a shiny black, and _very_ expensive going by the label.  “The Winchester’s finally decided to grace us with their presence,” the man said.

 

“Who the hell are you?” Dean growled.

 

The man pushed his sunglasses back over his eyes and settled back into the chair, turning forward again. “I’m Luke.”

 

 _‘Oh, great,’_ Sam thought. _‘My roomie._ ’  In an attempt to be polite, Sam forced a smile and held out his hand.  “I’m Sam.”

 

“I figured that out,” Luke said.  Sam found himself blushing at Luke’s rudeness, especially when the two stunning women on the man’s other side began to laugh at the exchange.

 

“Luke, darling,” the brunette with a British accent cooed.  “Don’t go all alpha on us, love.”

 

“Bela’s right,” the tall redhead piped up.  “None of them will be sticking around long. No need to get jealous.”  She placed a perfectly manicured hand with blood red nails on Luke’s muscled forearm and smiled up at them evilly.

 

“You are so right, Abby,” Luke grinned at her. “Men in discount pool attire aren’t worth our time.”  He swung his legs over the chair and stood smoothly, holding a hand out to each of the beautiful, yet malicious females. “Shall we get another drink?”

 

Sam, Dean and Benny stared after the trio of doom as they sauntered up to the large poolside bar. “Dicks,” Dean commented.

 

“His full name is Lucifer,” Benny informed them. “But he goes by Luke, I guess. I heard Crowley mention it earlier.”

 

“It fits—the guy was an asshole,” Dean said, looking down at Sam. “Dude.  Why are you wearing a T-shirt?”

 

Sam plucked at the hem of his shirt and didn’t make eye contact. “I’m more comfortable this way.”

 

“I’ve been in the Army over half of my life doing mandatory physical testing and I _wish_ my abs looked as good as yours,” Dean said.

 

“Maybe lay off the bacon cheeseburgers,” Sam suggested, trying to crack a smile.  “And eating an entire pie in one sitting.”

 

“That’s blasphemy,” Dean told him. “Angels will fall from the sky before I give up my burgers and pie.”  He paused. “Seriously, though,” Dean fixed Sam with a look. “I’m betting you have the best body here. You should show it off—make that Devil asshole jealous.”  

 

Dean reached down and tugged at Sam’s sleeve obnoxiously.  Sam batted him away. “Fine,” he huffed. He knew that Dean wouldn’t give up.

 

Glancing around quickly, making sure that no one was outright staring at him, Sam hooked his fingers under the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head.  “Damn, brother,” Benny drawled. “You could bounce a quarter off of those abs.”

 

“Right?” Dean piped up. “Like a cheese grater.”

 

“Hard as a rock,” Benny added, smiling.

 

“Shut up,” Sam grumbled. He knew they were teasing him, but unlike the jabs of his youth, Benny and Dean were being almost affectionate with him.  Despite his initial reservations, Sam discovered that he actually _liked_ Benny. The tall Southern man seemed to be a decent person—and anyone that Dean warmed up to so quickly couldn’t be bad.

 

Dean and Benny moved around Sam and commandeered the now vacant chairs of ‘Satan and Company.’  A young woman in a plain black one-piece suit immediately descended on them with a tray of drinks.  She was followed by a man with a pile of fluffy towels that felt as though they were still warm from the dryer. Sam laughed as Dean buried his face into the towel and moaned. “So _warm_ , Sammy!”

 

The three of them kept up conversation for a while.  It was mostly Dean and Benny, but as time went on, Sam loosened up a bit and found that he was actually beginning to enjoy himself.  It wasn’t long before a wiry, yet strong looking blonde wandered over to the trio with a lithe, tanned brunette woman in tow. “I see that you’ve met Luke,” the man said.  He also had a British accent and Sam wondered if it was normal to have this many international contestants on the show.

 

“Yeah, he’s a piece of work,” Dean said, glaring over to the bar where Lucifer was standing.

 

“He threw a bitch-fit when we arrived and he found out that I was being given a single room,” the man said. “Then he found out that it used to be Servant’s Quarters, and decided he’d rather share a guest room.” He rolled his eyes dramatically and Sam tried to suppress a chuckle. “I’m Balthazar,” he said. “This is Lisa Braeden—one of the ladies.”

 

“Pleased to meet you,” Lisa’s voice was lower and rather sensuous. “I’m just glad that some of us are normal.  I got here early—the same day as _those_ three,” she looked pointedly at Luke and the mean girls. “I had to spend an entire day here with only _them_ for company.  I wanted to claw my own eyes out.  Bela is especially...fun.”

 

“Oh really?” Dean winked at Lisa. “How so?”

 

“She’s my roommate,” Lisa informed them. “She was alone in our room for twenty minutes and during that time, all of my dresses got _shredded_ ,” Lisa looked pissed. “Somehow.”

 

Balthazar patter her shoulder and rolled his eyes again. “Up until you two arrived, Benny and Lisa seemed to be the only decent people here.”

 

“What about those two?” Sam nodded his head across the pool to where the remaining female contestants were sitting.

 

Both women were next to one another, but they appeared to not be interacting in any way.  They were each of a unique sort of beauty and Sam found himself staring. “Billie is nice enough,” Benny piped up.

 

“But she keeps to herself and doesn’t want to talk about anything except ‘dramatic imagery of _Dante’s Inferno_ ,” Balthazar added with a long-suffering sigh. “Boring as fuck.”

 

Sam perked up at that. A fellow literature geek—he might be able to make a new friend.  He was about to ask the others more about Billie when Lisa said, “Ruby is just as bad as the others, if not worse. I’d steer clear.”

 

“She made that camera kid cry yesterday because he couldn’t tell her what was on the menu for dinner,” Benny said, glowering.

 

“Like that’s his job,” Balthazar bit off the words. The three of them glared across the pool at Ruby.  Sam and Dean shared a glance and silently agreed to stay away from the tiny woman.

 

Just as Sam was about to speak up, a short man in a charcoal suit slid up to them and squeezed in between Lisa and Balthazar. This time, Sam was prepared for the British accent after the amount of clips from the show that he had watched on the plane. “Balthy,” the host, Crowley said.  “Don’t start drama until the cameras are rolling, darling. You know better.” Crowley glanced around their little group, his eyes finally resting on the Winchesters. “So glad that you boys could make it.” His tone suggested that he wished Sam and Dean weren’t there at all.

 

Sam furrowed his brow.  When he looked over at his brother, Dean was grinning up at the snarky host with stars in his eyes.  “We are super excited to be here!” Dean’s words and enthusiasm were out of character and Sam shot him a look as Crowley slipped away.

 

“Really, Dean?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

They all moved to turn their attention to Crowley, who was standing near the bar.  The large lights had been turned on at some point and Sam noticed that all of the cameras had someone standing by them. He caught sight of Kevin across the way.  The young man looked serious with his concentration.

 

“Quiet down, you lot!” Crowley bellowed.  Everyone went silent. “Now that everyone is here and all the contracts have been signed, we are going to get started.  Pay fucking attention!”

 

“Fergus, sweetheart,” an incredibly small Scottish redhead popped up next to Crowley and purred at him condescendingly. “Watch your language this season, dear. I don’t want to have the editors ‘bleeping’ every other word you say.”  Crowley glared daggers at her. “Now,” she loudly addressed them all. “I am Rowena MacLeod, the producer of _The One_.  I am _thrilled_ that you’re all here. This is shaping up to be our best season yet!”  She smiled at each of them and Sam felt a chill run down his spine. “Darling Fergus is going to run over the rules with everyone right quick before we bring our ‘Man of the Moment’ out to meet all of you.”

 

“It’s _Crowley_ ,” the host hissed at her as she shrugged innocently. Crowley straightened up and narrowed his eyes at them. “First off,” he said. “No leaving the estate alone. You will _always_ have a member of the crew with you when you’re not in your rooms.  Secondly, any time you’re ‘alone’ with our bachelor for a date or whatever, there _will_ be a camera present. We aren’t going to risk missing anything.  Understood?”

 

After Crowley stared at them all for a moment, the group of contestants murmured an affirmative before the host continued.  “Finally—if you drop out, you don’t get paid. If you’re pissed about that, then you should have read the fine print before you signed up for this.  Okay, let’s get started!” Crowley turned toward the nearest camera and waited for the view to be perfectly adjusted for his opening speech.

 

Rowena tucked herself next to him and whispered into the host’s ear. He gave a quick nod and turned back toward them all. “I almost forgot,” he said in a bored tone. “The production company’s official line is that we will not tolerate sabotage or cheating.  So no running off with someone besides our boy—that _will_ get you kicked off of the show.”  Crowley smirked at them. “ _However_ , in order to boost ratings, we will, for the most part, turn a blind eye to the sabotage—so have fun with that.”

 

Sam leaned back into his chair, blinking. They would allow people to practically _cheat_ as long as it made for good television?  Sam wasn’t exactly a fan of that. He looked to Dean, but his brother was nodding along with everything Crowley was saying and looking weirdly competitive. Great. With other contestants like Lucifer, or that girl Bela, Sam wasn’t looking forward to being ‘sabotaged.’  Those two could probably think up some nasty things.

 

Crowley was still speaking, but he was obviously performing his opening monologue for the cameras. Sam forced himself to pay attention. The snarky host was describing the man they would be fighting for.  "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to our esteemed bachelor this season! He has made quite a name for himself as an up and coming plastic surgeon from Los Angeles."  
  


A doctor?  That was actually kind of hot. Sam had always had kind of a thing for really smart people, and no one became a surgeon by being mediocre, as far as Sam knew. He applauded with everyone else, his stomach in knots on who the bachelor could be. He hoped that the guy was short.  It was basically guaranteed that whoever it was would be shorter than Sam’s six feet and four inches. But he really found himself attracted to people that were _much_ smaller than himself.

 

A door to the side of the pool flung open and someone rushed out. All Sam could really see was a blur or flesh and color.  The man was compact, that much was evident, as he ran toward the pool at top speed. He jumped at the last moment and flung himself into the deep end of the pool in an impressive cannonball.  Water splashed up over the edges, dousing those who were standing near, including Sam. He shook his head, and laughed. Well, _that_ certainly was an entrance.

 

Over by the bar, the two female contestants glued to Lucifer’s side were dripping, wailing, and looking murderous.  “My hair!” Bela shrieked. “That little asshole!”

 

The fact that the three people who seemed to be the worst in attendance were now soaked and no longer ‘camera ready’ for their television debut amused Sam to no end.  He laughed loudly, even as he turned to see the man responsible grip the ladder and pull himself out of the pool. The bachelor surgeon’s longer hair was hanging in his eyes, so Sam put his attention on the firm looking bare chest, biting his lip subtly. His gaze raked down as more was revealed.  The guy was wearing a rainbow printed speedo that did _nothing_ to hide the fact that he’d been ‘gifted’ in the dick department. Sam actually felt his breath punch out of him.

 

As the man shook his head, flinging water, Sam forced his eyes away from the guy’s barely concealed crotch and up to his face once more. He caught a flash of gold from the bachelor’s eyes. _‘No,’_ Sam thought. _‘It couldn’t be.  No, no, no!’_

 

Suddenly, Sam felt sick, bile roiling in his stomach as the bachelor came into full view, smiling brightly at all of them.  In an instant, Sam was back in his high school cafeteria, milk dripping from his face as he slowly stood up after being tripped by one of the basketball players.  Those sparkling amber eyes staring at him through the taunts, their owner doing _nothing_ about any of it. Years of torment suddenly sprang forward into Sam’s mind and he felt as though he was going to pass out. _‘No!’_

 

"Ladies and gentlemen,” Crowley announced, throwing his hand toward the man they were all watching.  “Please say hello to Dr. Gabriel Novak! Our _prize_ for the season!”

 

 _‘Oh, fuck me,’_ Sam thought in horror.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After today’s news, we figured that everyone could use a little cheering up. The journey may be ending—but it will never die. #SPNFamily  
> —BuLlEtNiPpLeS & CrowleyLovesUSUK 
> 
> Gabriel makes some new acquaintances.  
> Sam loses his cool.  
> Cas is a tad bit underhanded.

Gabriel grinned as he gazed at his _wardrobe_ for the unveiling. He was a little perturbed that the producers had to make it this whole elaborate affair, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he could use it to his advantage.

As far back as he could remember, he'd always been a jokester, always playing a prank and making people laugh. Humor was important to him, if he found his soulmate here, they _had_ to have a sense of humor. Pulling a Milky Way out of the pocket of the plush robe he wore, he took a big bite as he turned this way and that in front of the floor length mirror.

Even with his insane hours at the hospital, and his obsession for anything sweet, Gabriel had a nice body. He liked his hair long--long enough for the strands to brush his broad shoulders--sandy locks sweeping across his forehead. With as little exercise as possible, Gabriel had a flat stomach, muscular thighs and thick arms. The anaconda in his pants completed the package. He laughed to himself at his little joke as he slipped out of the robe and slid into the rainbow colored speedo that he had packed.

Shifting his package until it was snug and secure in the fabric, he wondered about the potentials that had shown up just a few hours before. There were strict orders that they were to be kept separate until the big reveal. He tried to calm his breathing, which was not easy, since there were cameras everywhere.  It didn’t help that most of the film crew were flitting around murmuring that ‘Gabriel could meet his soulmate!’ Talk about fucking pressure.

Honestly, he would be amazed if he could find someone, (preferably a guy), that could stand him for more than twenty minutes. He lost count over the years at how many times someone had told him that he was a bit...much. Too loud, too rambunctious, too brash--it was always too... _something_. Cas was the only constant in his life, his anchor to reality.  Without his baby brother, Gabriel would most likely float off to some remote corner of the world with no knowledge of how he got there.

“Gabriel, it’s time for the big reveal, are you--what the hell are you wearing?” With a cheeky grin, Gabriel turned and eyed Rowena, who was fuming in the doorway. Was that smoke coming out of her nostrils?

“This?” Gabriel gave a little wave down his body as Rowena rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue at him in annoyance. “This, my dear, is what _I_ chose to wear to greet the suitors.”

“We have wardrobe people for that kind of thing, Gabriel!” Rowena screeched, hands on her hips as she glared at him. He simply grinned at her, dimples popping out in all their glory.

“Yes Red, this is true. But, if I’m to find my soulmate--or whatever--don’t you think they would want to know the _real_ me?” Gabe paused and pretended to think.  “Well, at least the me that can be shown on national television.  Because let’s be honest; if I’m swimming, I’m doing it butt ass naked.”

“Whatever you say dearie.” Rowena sighed and walked him out of the room he’d been left in to dress for the opening. Walking down the short hall that lead out to the patio, Gabriel took a deep breath.   _Here goes nothing!_

Breaking into a run, he took off across the patio, his eyes focused only on the cool water in front of him. Leaping into the air, he landed in the deep end; laughing and cheers erupting around him. Heaving himself out of the pool, he shook off the excess water as best as he could.

Trying not to show his nervousness, Gabriel walked over next to Crowley and got his first glimpse of the suitors. And holy, _wow!_ He tried to pay attention to what Crowley was saying, he really tried. But he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the tall gorgeous man who was looking at him strangely.

Interesting.

He forced himself to look away from the shaggy haired Adonis and made an attempt to check out the rest of the sacrificial lambs that the studio had picked for him. The two high-maintenance women by the bar were whining about their hair, which made Gabriel write them off immediately.  Everyone was attractive though, some more his type than others. Deep down, he wanted to give a good show—but his instincts were screaming to send everyone, except the hottie glaring at him, packing.

Crowley was blathering away next to him about the different contestants and some of the ‘rules’ for the show--Gabriel didn’t care about any of it.  His eyes kept sliding back to the other end of the pool at the tall brunette who was now scowling at the man next to him and looking pretty murderous.  Maybe the sexy giant had a bad temper? That would fucking suck, because people with short tempers tended to despise Gabe. And Gabriel Novak wasn’t about to let The Pissy Green Giant slip through his fingers.  He’d just have to break out the charm and get the kid to laugh. Should be easy enough.

“So consider this your first date,” Crowley was saying.  “You’ll each get five minutes in the poolside cabana bed with Gabriel to see if you both are in any way compatible.  There are small cameras mounted inside that will film _everything_ , so take care as to what you reveal.  It might not be edited out and then your mother will find out how much you enjoy anal beads or what-have-you.”

Gabriel tilted his head and stared at Crowley for a beat.  That was...graphic and unexpected from the seemingly refined host.   _‘Pity,’_ flashed through Gabriel’s mind.  He hadn’t taken the time to really get to know Crowley in the last few days.  From that little comment, it seems as though they would have been great friends.  Everyone seemed to take pause in what their British host had said, everyone, including the crew, looking either amused or disturbed.

Crowley smiled thinly once more.  “Now,” he clapped his hands once and narrowed his eyes to scan the crowd.  “Who would like to join our esteemed bachelor first for a little private tete-a-tete?”

 _‘Nice,’_ Gabe thought.  Five minutes alone on a bed with a gauzy curtain to keep things a little more PG-rated.  He could work with that. Especially if it meant getting tall, dark, and grumpy onto a mattress--with him.  Gabe was starting to get a bit peevish that he kept staring at the man. There were plenty of beautiful people to choose from, and they _all_ wanted _him._  He didn’t have to make a snap decision within the first few seconds.

Gabriel knew that he had to at least _try_ to take this seriously.  He was fast approaching forty, and despite his youthful looks--eventually it was going to show.  He also didn’t have time to go to bars, or speed date, or even swipe, due to his insane hours at the hospital.  Any free time that he had was donated to the charity he co-chaired or to performing surgeries pro-bono. Despite the fact that ten years ago, he would have initiated an orgy with all of the present company--he was done with that kind of shit.  Still, old habits and all that. He might not be a horny med student anymore, but he still wanted to see that scowling kid in bed.

Smiling at the group of people selected to fight over him, Gabriel gave a sarcastic little salute which made one of the incredibly chiseled men across the way snort with laughter.  Gabe tilted his head and regarded that guy. Green eyes, short hair, impressive biceps and...unlaced, dirty work boots. At a pool. Okay, weird--but a guy like that probably wouldn’t judge him on his clothing choices or the types of movies he liked--and that was a plus.  He shot ‘Green-Eyes’ a saucy smile.

“Is there anything you would care to add Dr. Novak?” Crowley was staring at him.

“Um, yeah,” Gabriel spun his bare feet on the wet stones.  He made an odd little bow and flung his arm out toward the secluded cabana.  “I look forward to getting you all in bed.” There were peals of laughter from the contestants around him and Gabriel didn’t take long to figure out which ones were genuine...and which weren’t.  Besides, it couldn’t hurt for the contestants to think he was a bit of a player--even if he’d left that part of his personality back in Los Angeles.

He bounced over to the large curtained mattress and hopped up on it as Crowley continued to bark advice on how to impress in a short amount of time.  Gabriel was actually looking forward to this bit. It was nice to have a finite amount of time to figure out if someone should stay, or head on back to the airport.  He didn’t feel the need to waste anyone’s time and he had no issues with letting certain people go.

Despite that fact that he _did_ swing more towards males, Gabe knew that his brother was correct and he would _have_ to keep at least a few of the women for the time being.  Rowena had been very clear about how the show wanted to promote a ‘bisexual man looking for love.’  According to her, ‘the gays were overdone these days,’ and ‘for fuck’s sake, bi-phobia needs to be squashed.’  He’d decided that he actually really liked Rowena after those comments. She might be a pain in his ass, but she was a fiery ally.

“Lisa?” Crowley’s smooth voice called out.  “Would you please get us started?” Gabriel craned his neck, scanning, to see who ‘Lisa’ would end up being.  He smiled when a rather tall, tanned brunette moved around a deck chair and began to walk confidently toward him.  “The rest of you can keep doing whatever it is that you do,” Crowley continued. “Remember though, that while we have an open bar here at the ranch, anything you do while intoxicated will be filmed.”

Gabriel leaned back and snuggled into the plush, white pillows propped all around him.  When Lisa pulled back the sheer curtain, he gave her a large smile and patted the bed next to him.  To her credit, she climbed right in. It turned out that Lisa was a Labor and Delivery nurse in Indiana.  They ended up mostly discussing their careers, with the occasional foray into an anecdote about hospital employment, careful not to violate privacy laws.  

When the five minutes were up, all Gabriel knew about Lisa Braeden was what she did for a living, that she hated the smell of burnt popcorn that came from the Attendings Lounge where she worked, and that she was quite pretty.  As she left, Gabriel decided that he wouldn’t be eliminating her right away. At the very least, as long as she was around, he’d have someone to talk medicine with.

Lisa was replaced with Benny, who owned his own Cajun Food Truck.  That alone made Gabe want to keep the burly looking Southern man around for a while.  On top of the plus that he could cook, Benny was also nice to talk to. He didn’t laugh loudly, but all of his chuckles at Gabe’s snarky jokes were genuine.

Billie was next, and he barely got ten words out of her.  They mostly just stared at each other from a slight distance because Billie refused to get up on the bed with him.  It was incredibly odd and Gabe wasn’t sure what to make of the entire encounter.

Billie was followed by one of the shrieking girls from the poolside bar.  Her name turned out to be Bela and Gabriel took an instant dislike to her.  The British accent was sexy, of course--but she was cold. Every move she made seemed as though she’d been practicing it in front of a mirror.  She also laughed like a rabbit. Lots of teeth and nose twitching that sounded utterly forced. By the time Bela was gone, Gabriel was considering the fact that she might, in fact, be a robot.

The next person to sweep back the curtain was the green-eyed guy with the boots.  He smiled at Gabriel as he slipped in and climbed up onto the mattress. He rested on his knees for a moment and gave a little bounce.  “Not bad,” he finally assessed. “It’s comfortable, yet doesn’t give.”

“Perky _and_ supple?” Gabriel smirked at him.

The guy burst out into raucous, real laughter.  It wasn’t long before Gabe joined him, their mirth echoing out to the pool for everyone to hear.  “I’m Dean,” Green-Eyes said, after they’d both finally calmed down.

“Gabe.”

“I _did_ pick up on that,” Dean said sarcastically.  “Here’s an idea,” Dean smiled at him. “Get up here on your knees.”

He couldn’t resist.  Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows as he pushed himself up to face Dean.  “You want me on my knees already? But we just met,” Gabe teased.

“You aren’t going to make me blush, so you don’t have to try so hard--you might strain something,” Dean joked right back.  He held out his arms, placing them on Gabe’s bare shoulders, steadying him. The were kneeling on the mattress, only a foot from one another.  

That’s when Dean began to bounce.  Gabe almost toppled over, unprepared for the sudden motion.  “Come on, dude,” Dean laughed, using his thigh muscles to push off of the bed.  “Bounce with me.”

Gabriel was actually speechless.  Someone had ‘out-weirded’ him! That _never_ happened.  He was usually the one making people do childish and crazy things in order to just sit back and fucking _enjoy_ life.  No one seemed to really care that they were alive and breathing.  They just rushed through their day, wishing for time to speed up, just so they could go to bed and do it all fucking over.  Gabriel hated that. He _loved_ this kind of dumb fun that reminded him how happy he was to be alive.  And somehow--Dean had picked up on that. Either that, or the guy was just as emotionally stunted as his brother always told Gabe that he was.  Honestly, he didn’t care. This was fucking fun.

He and Dean bounced up and down on the mattress, trying to knock one another over for the entire five minutes as they talked.  Dean had been career military, which was kind of ridiculously hot, and had just finished up. He liked classic cars, pie, and never remembered to charge his cell phone.  He loved his little brother more than anything. Gabriel respected that--he felt the same way about his own bro, Castiel. When Dean’s time was up, Gabe felt as though he’d finally had the first real connection of the show.  Dean was sexy, seemed to enjoy spending time with him, and liked having fun. There were a lot of good things about that situation.

Wondering what the next person would bring, Gabriel turned and scrambled back into his mound of pillows.  He situated himself to look comfortable, yet still in charge, his ankles crossed and his legs stretched out.  The curtains moved. When they peeled away, Gabe was pleasantly surprised to see the tall, angry looking man that he’d been drawn to earlier.  “Bonjour, mon amor,” Gabe said, trying to sound adorably sexy--it was a trait that he had down cold.

The hottie rolled his eyes and snorted, obviously unaffected by   Gabriel’s charm. Which was not normal...and uncool. Deciding to keep trying, Gabe scooted over and poked at the pillows next to him in an invitation.  “What’s your name, kiddo?”

“I’m not a kid,” angry hot guy said.

“Okay,” Gabe nodded.  “Pretty sure that you’re younger than me.”

“I am.”

Silence filled the cabana and Gabriel was at a loss.  Okay, yeah, Billie had barely spoken to him either--but Gabe didn’t care too much about that.  He _was_ mostly looking for a guy, after all.  Besides the fact that this man was...obviously a man--he was tall (bonus) and probably the most attractive guy that Gabriel had ever seen in person.  And that was saying something, because he lived in freaking Los Angeles! All of that, combined with his instinctual draw to the kid, Gabe _really_ wanted this meeting to go well.  He had a feeling about this guy, and Gabe wanted him to stick around.  Hopefully until the end.

“Well,” he tried.  “I’m Gabe. Gabriel.  Whatever works for you.”  He waited for a moment, watching.  When the guy didn’t respond Gabriel squinted at him.  He wasn’t the most subtle of men, and he _did_ have something of a reputation in his operating room for being...well, a dick.  With that in mind, Gabe just went for it. “Now would be a good time to tell me _your_ name.  Unless you’re rude and have no manners.  And in _that_ case, you’d probably be better off trying to hook up with Crowley.”

He got a glare for that one--a good one too.  “Sam.”

“Great,” Gabriel rolled up a little and smiled as he adjusted the pillows around him.  “Hi, Sam. That wasn’t so hard.” He patted the mattress next to him once more. “It could get a lot more hard if you come sit by me,” Gabe smirked.

“Wow,” was all Sam said, flatly.  But he did sit down. Gabe considered that progress.

“What do you like to do, Sam?” Gabe asked before Sam could change his mind and leave.  The kid looked so skittish and Gabe was curious as to why. What kind of person signed up for a dating show and then acted as though they would rather be burned alive?

Sam made a huffing sound and looked at Gabriel as though he was thoroughly confused by the question.  “Really?” Sam finally asked.

Gabe assumed he was irritated at the generic question.  He’d wanted to ask something like, ‘If you had wings, would you want penguin wings, eagle wings, or hummingbird wings, and why?’  But he’d played it safe and was now getting a death glare from Sam the Sexy Shirtless...Samsquatch? Was that a thing?

Just when Gabriel was about to sigh and try something else, Sam said, “I like reading,” very quietly.

Books!  Gabe could work with that.  His little brother, Castiel _loved_ books.  And if Cas read something, he’d usually insist that Gabe did as well.  Hell, for a guy that didn’t intend to become a bookworm, Gabriel had a spare room devoted to his bookshelves.  It had sort of been an accident, but he was happy with it. He opened his mouth to ask all the usual things about favorite authors and which series had emotionally gutted the other man at the end when Sam abruptly changed the subject.

“So, what else do you like to do besides tormenting people?’ Sam asked, an odd lilt to his voice.

Gabriel chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m a simple guy, I like to prop my feet up after a long day and watch the new episodes of Doctor Sexy. Give me a beer and a burger to go with it and I’m in heaven.”

“Jeez, you sound just like my brother.” Sam muttered. Gabriel just looked at the taller man; there was something so familiar about him, he just couldn’t put his finger on what it was and it was driving him crazy.

“So, Sammykins, what were you like as a kid? You already said you like to read, I wanna know more about you.” Gabriel leaned back on an elbow, crossing his ankles as Sam shifted nervously next to him.

“Oh. Uh, I dunno. I’m nobody special.” Sam ducked his head, his voice small, not wanting to meet Gabriel’s eyes.

Gabriel clucked softly at him, not knowing why he was so uncomfortable but desperately wanting to fix it. Earlier, he had caught Sam talking to ‘green eyes’ and the blinding smile that Sam unleashed in all it’s dimpled glory did fuzzy things to his insides. He wanted to see more.

“Come now, kiddo, that can’t possibly be true.” Gabriel said it softly, trying not to spook this adorable giant. He watched in confusion as shock, disbelief, and then anger slid over Sam’s face. He hesitantly held a hand out, not sure what to do. “Sammy, you okay? What-”

“How the fuck would you know?!” Sam screeched, shooting to his feet and flinging the curtain aside as he stomped across the patio leaving Gabriel stunned.

“Sam!” Gabe shouted after him.  All he got for his efforts was a ‘fuck off,’ tossed over Sam’s shoulder as he walked away.  What the fuck had just happened? Without another word--or a backwards glance at Gabriel--Sam, the hottie, strode back into the house.  Gabriel had never been more confused, or pissed off in his entire life.

 

X x X

 

Dean caught up with him when he was almost to his room.  His brother jumped in front of him, cutting off his flight, his hands outstretched.  “Woah, Sammy,” Dean said. “Chill.” Sam just continued to glare at his brother. “What the hell was that all about?”

Sam slapped at his brother’s arm and tried to move around him.  Dean countered with his body. Whenever Sam moved, Dean followed, blocking him.  “What is your problem?” Sam growled.

“What’s yours?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Bitch,” Dean said, using the insult affectionately.

Sam didn’t respond with his usual cry of ‘Jerk’ and he knew that it would set off Dean’s radar.  He just body-checked Dean into the wall. The two grown men tussled with one another, just on the serious side of play-fighting.  It took some effort, but eventually Sam managed to push past Dean and shove his way into his bedroom. He grabbed his duffel bag wordlessly and began to throw the few things he had managed to unpack back into it.  “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Sam finally said.  “I’m going home.”

Dean blinked.  “What?” He shook his head and stared at Sam for a beat.  “No. You can’t.”

“I am.”

“Dude, you said you’d do this with me,” Dean tried for guilt.  It usually worked.

Sam fixed him with a glare.  “That was before I knew that we were going to be dating _Gabriel Novak_ on television.”  He zipped the bag closed and flopped onto the edge of the bed, pulling out his cell phone and trying to see if there was any sort of Uber or taxi service nearby.

Dean kept watching him as though he was a frightened gazelle.  After a few minutes, he sank down onto the bed next to Sam, his eyes still fixed on his younger brother.  “I’m going to take a wild guess based on your reaction and the fact that I ran into your old friend Cas earlier,” Dean said.  Sam’s head shot up at the mention of Castiel. Dean smiled and nodded once. “Yeah, we established that we’re ‘Six Degrees’ from one another already.  He mentioned that his _brother_ is the bachelor on this show.  Which makes me think that you might have known him too when we were all young and dumb.  Am I close?”

Sam looked away and his body sagged.  “I figured,” Dean slung his arm around Sam’s shoulders.  “What is it? Unrequited crush?” When Sam flinched, Dean nodded again.  “Bingo. Okay, that isn’t a problem. He probably doesn’t remember who you even _are.”_  It took a second for Dean to realize what he said.  “Sorry, Sammy.”

“It’s _not_ just that,” Sam ran his hand through his hair absently.  He’d never told Dean about the teasing; the bullying. He’d suffered in silence, not wanting to burden his already stressed out older brother.  “Okay,” Sam huffed. “So I liked him. He was Cas’ big brother and sometimes he’d hang out with us when we studied. He was...funny. And cute. And pretty nice--but only when it was just the three of us.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed.  “What the hell does _that_ mean?”

“Um,” Sam figured that he should just come out with it.  Rip off the bandage. “Some of his friends would...tease me.”

The bed shook as Dean practically jumped to his feet, his stormy green eyes staring down at Sam.  “That asshat _bullied_ you?”

Sam grimaced.  He should have known that Dean would see right through his carefully constructed and thought out explanation.  Fuck. Even after all of these years, he was still trying to ‘protect’ Gabe Novak. He was pathetic. “Yeah, I guess,” Sam finally said.

“I’ll kick his itty bitty ass!”

There was a sharp knock at the door and both Winchesters swirled around as it opened.  Castiel peeked into the room, his messy dark hair looking just as windswept as Sam remembered it from high school.  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Castiel said, in his serious, gravelly voice.

“Hey, Cas,” Sam said, attempting a smile from his old friend.  He stood and walked over, pulling Castiel into a quick, yet firm embrace.  “It’s good to see you.”

“You as well,” Cas told him.  “Although, I’m sorry it is under these circumstances.  I know how you must feel about seeing my brother again.”  He turned to Dean and dipped his head apologetically. “While I don’t blame you for wanting to beat Gabriel to a pulp, I assure you that it would be a fruitless effort.”

“Does he always talk like this?” Dean asked Sam.  He turned back to Castiel. “Do you always talk like this?”

“I’m just...talking,” Cas squinted at him.

“Dean,” Sam shook his head, silently asking Dean to leave it alone.

“If you do punch him,” Cas continued.  “All it will serve to do is get the two of you kicked off of the show.  And possibly arrested by the local sheriff.”

“Kicked off means no money,” Dean realized.  “Shit.” He scuffed his worn boots on the wooden floor, ignoring the frown that Castiel was giving him.  “Fine. I won’t kill him. But I’m going to at least _think_ about it.”

“Thank you,” Castiel told him.  “I appreciate your restraint.” That time, the sarcasm in his voice was evident.  Sam chuckled at his friend. Cas would never change--it was almost a soothing fact.  “I _do_ understand if you would still like to leave, Sam,” Cas turned to him.

“Yeah,” Sam said.  “I just...I can’t stay here--you know that, Cas.”

“What the hell did this guy do to you?” Dean asked.

“He was just a dick, Dean.  That’s all,” Sam insisted.

Castiel nodded in agreement.  “While I don’t condone my brother’s actions when we were children, there were extenuating circumstances during that point in our lives.”  Both Sam and Dean looked at Cas questioningly. “It is Gabriel’s story to tell,” was all Castiel gave them. “I do believe, that if you were to stay, you would find that you and Gabriel would probably get along quite well.”  Sam shot his friend a look. “Also,” Cas continued. “If you stay, you will continue to earn money and you could possibly find a way to get revenge on my brother in the process.”

“Revenge?” Sam was taken aback.  He’d never actually thought about that.  “Like what?”

“Perhaps making him fall for you, and dumping him on camera?” Castiel suggested innocently.

“That’s cold,” Dean said, eyeing Castiel warily.  “I mean, dude--he’s your brother.”

“Sometimes people need to learn from their past mistakes,” was all Cas would say.

Thoughts began to flow through Sam’s head.  He _could_ do this.  He could make Gabriel fall for him and then show him what it felt like to be rejected by the person you adored.  He wouldn’t even feel guilty about it. Well...not _too_ guilty.  Maybe a little.  Whatever. He could get the money for his student loans _and_ get some closure on one of the things that had been holding him back for his entire adult life.  Sam knew that it didn’t take a licensed therapist to figure out that his aversion to dating stemmed from his high school crush breaking his heart with a pile of dead fish.  Among other things.

“Okay,” Sam lifted his head and smiled at Dean and Castiel.  “I’ll do it. I’ll stay.”

“Awesome,” Dean clapped him on the back.  “Thanks, man,” he nodded to Cas.

Sam moved to his bag and began to unpack for the second time that day.  He didn’t notice when Castiel and Dean moved out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

 

X x X

 

“You’re really okay with Sammy going after your brother like that?” Dean asked skeptically once he was alone with the gorgeous--and apparently ruthless--hottie.

Cas shot him a devastating smile.  “If you recall, I _did_ mention my belief that they would get along.”

“You think they’re going to hit it off and Sam will forget all about revenge on Gabriel?”

“Precisely,” Cas said.  “This way, we all get what we want.  You get your money, Sam gets some closure, and Gabriel gets a shot at happiness.  You know,” Cas pondered. “I really do think that he and Sam will end up together at the end of this show.  I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he did when he first saw Sam today.”

“How in the world do you _know_ that they’ll ride off into the sunset together?”

“Call it a hunch, Dean.”

“Hey Cas,” Dean asked as they slowly made their way down the hall and back toward the pool.  “You said that everyone gets what they want. What do you get out of this?”

The look Castiel gave him was full of mystery and promise.  “I get to spend more time with you, Dean.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinnertime is tense.  
> Sam gets defensive.  
> Cas makes a move.  
> Gabe makes his choices.
> 
> *This chapter has some literary discussion about the Stephan King book "The Stand." If you've never read it, that's fine (its also slightly sad, because it is a great book). But you don't really need to have read the book in order to follow the discussion about it. It's all pretty vague. So there aren't any spoilers for "The Stand," but it IS talked about. All you really have to know is that it was originally published in the seventies and then later on in the nineties, King added a bunch of stuff to it and it was re-issued. Some people like the original, others enjoy the extra stuff of the 'uncut' version. They're both good. (Fun Fact: The Uncut Version is 1,141 pages long which makes it a MONSTER of a novel). Moving on...

Gabriel shifted his weight and glared at himself in the mirror of his suite.  He had started the day giddy with excitement, and now he was heading to dinner with ten relative strangers, and he was in a shitty mood.  He had no idea why Sam had run off like that. The whole thing had actually distracted him on the rest of his ‘dates,’ which made him feel guilty for giving some of the contestants less attention.  The blonde guy, Luke--Luci--whatever--Gabe had barely said a word to him.  It was disconcerting and slightly worrying. His entire being seemed to be consumed with thoughts of Sam.  He had no idea what he’d done to set the kid off--but whatever it was, he was sorry.

 

The weird, cryptic comments about him ‘torturing people’ and the snappy responses had Gabe both disturbed and curious.  He had a feeling that Sam might actually _hate_ him.  While the reaction to Dr. Novak wasn’t all that surprising; most people didn’t go much past ‘oddly annoying’ when describing _Gabriel._  Everyone was eventually won over by Gabe’s charm, so he wasn’t _too_ concerned.  He just wished that he knew why his mind kept drifting back to Sam and their first conversation.

 

“Gabriel, love?” Rowena’s voice called from the hallway.  “We’re on a schedule, dear.”

 

“Damn, woman,” Gabe shouted back at her jokingly.  “I’m coming. Hold your fucking tits!” At least after the whole rainbow speedo thing, Rowena had basically told him that he didn’t need ‘Wardrobe’ for the rest of the shoot.  He was rather proud of the little ensemble that he’d put together for dinner that evening. Dark wash jeans that hugged his ass and a rather tight white t-shirt that sported a large pair of glittering red lips.  Honestly, it was rather tame for him.

 

“Oh holy mother,” Rowena pretended to faint when he popped out of his room and greeted her.  “I know I said you could dress yourself like a big boy, but really?”

 

“Please, Red,” Gabe gestured to himself confidently.  “This is nothing. I’d wear this to a funeral.”

 

“You wouldn’t,” she wagged her finger at him in a scolding manner.  “You don’t fool me. You’re just a little man with the mentality of a teenager.”

 

“More like the libido of a teenager,” Gabe shot back.

 

“You’re incorrigible.”

 

“You love it.”

 

“I do,” she said with a laugh.  “Now,” Rowena forcibly spun him toward the dining room.  “Go make all of them love you too.”

 

Yeah, _that_ wasn’t going to be a problem.

 

Xxx  Xx  xxX

 

Sam closed his eyes and took a breath to steady himself. Dean was right, he _could_ do this.  Without another thought, he entered the opulent dining room.  Most everyone else was already in attendance. He spotted Dean sitting near the end of the table, Benny on one side, Gabriel on the other.  He longed to take the seat opposite Dean just so that his brother could ground him with his presence, but he _refused_ to be that close to Novak. Sam walked purposefully to the other end of the long, raw wood dining table.

 

He sank down into an empty chair that was as far away from Gabriel as he could possibly get.  Despite the fact that it was still summer, the large river rock fireplace was blazing and Sam could feel the heat on his back.  Great. The last thing he needed was to sweat profusely. The last thing that he wanted was for Gabriel to think that he was nervous around him.  The days of Sam caring what Novak thought were long behind him.

 

To his right was Billie, silently staring straight ahead, which was rather disturbing.  To his left was Balthazar who had taken the other head of table seat. “I’m rather excited to see how the rest of the evening goes,” Balthazar commented lightly, eyeing Sam.  “Are you feeling better after your...issue?”

 

Sam graced him with a curt nod.  “I’m fine.” He turned in his chair toward Billie.  He wanted to be physically facing away from Balthazar.  The British man had seemed friendly enough...before the cameras turned on.  Now, Sam wasn’t sure _what_ to think.  He grimaced as he looked up.  If he wasn’t looking at Balthazar, he had a perfect view of Gabriel at the other end of the table.  Well, that sucked too. Sam grit his teeth and turned to Billie, trying to smile at her. She kept staring straight ahead.

 

“Hey,” Sam tried.  Nothing. “So, um,” Sam unfolded his napkin.  “I heard that you’re a fan of _Dante’s Inferno_.”  Billie blinked, but didn’t speak.  “I like it too,” Sam continued to speak.  “I’m an especially big fan of the Seventh Circle where those who bring violence against their neighbors are boiled in blood,” Sam glared down the table at Gabriel who was watching him silently.

 

From the corner of his eye, he saw Billie turn toward him.  A slow, lazy smile appeared on her features. “ _That_ is always an excellent punishment,” she agreed, speaking out loud for the first time that evening.  She seemed to be thinking for a bit before she continued. “I like you Sam.”

 

By the time that the food arrived, Sam had almost forgotten exactly _where_ he was.  He was having a fantastic time with Billie, who, despite her initial silence, was a wealth of literary knowledge.  Sam couldn’t have been happier speaking with her. After Dante, they’d turned their conversation to Homer, Shakespeare, Rowling and LeGuin before Billie had brought up the tricky subject of favorite books.  Sam never knew how to answer that question. He had, perhaps, a hundred favorite books--how was he supposed to pick just one? Luckily, he always had a ‘go-to’ favorite. It might not be the most pretentious choice, but he loved it all the same.

 

“I’ve gotta say, Stephen King’s _The Stand_ ,” Sam said, trying to cover the fact that he was chewing as he spoke.

 

Billie’s eyes twinkled.  “Original nineteen seventy-eight version? Or the Complete and Uncut release,” she asked--and Sam knew that it was a test.

 

“Uncut,” he insisted, ignoring Balthazar’s remark about circumcision.  “You’ve got to have the extras--it completely changes the story, in my opinion.  The character of the Trashcan Man is almost entirely transformed.”

 

“Some would say that the additional exposition is unwarranted,” Billie countered.

 

“Well, then they suck,” Sam said uncertainly.  His mind felt fuzzy after the events of the day and he knew that the ‘literary analysis’ lobe of his brain wasn’t at top speed.

 

“The Kid was a pointless character, and expanding on that was painful.  Although, I do enjoy the change in time period for the uncut version,” Gabriel spoke up from the other end of the table and Sam’s head spun.

 

Everyone in the room had been watching and listening to him and Billie’s debate.  What shocked Sam the most however, was the fact that Gabriel Novak had read the book, _and_ seemed to have an opinion on it.  Sam knew that Gabe was intelligent.  He’d had top grades back in school and he’d obviously become a successful doctor--but he’d never really struck Sam as a ‘Reader.’  He couldn’t recall ever seeing a novel in Gabriel’s hands when they were younger. Cas was always the one who was eager to follow Sam to the library in those days.

 

Despite the fact that Sam didn’t want to speak directly to Gabe, he automatically went on the defensive over his favorite book.  “Some people will agree that The Kid isn’t necessary to the overall story,” Sam said in irritation. “But he _does_ give more insight into Trash’s character and _his_ motivations.”

 

“Trashcan Man was nuts,” Gabriel shot back.  “ _That_ was his motivation.”

 

“That’s your opinion,” Sam said.

 

“No,” Gabe countered in a cocky tone.  “I’m a _doctor_.  I think I can diagnose someone accurately.”

 

“Even if you aren’t a fan of that particular addition,” Sam’s jaw was clenched.  “At least the pieces on how people dealt with the superflu and survived in the beginning were interesting.”

 

Gabriel looked as though he was going to retort when Dean stepped in.  “You’ll never win an argument about that book with Sammy,” he smiled at Gabe.  “He loves that book. He’s been looking for a mint, numbered, autographed, first edition for--how many years?”

 

“Twenty-six,” Sam ground out.

 

“Trust me on this,” Dean laughed, attempting to cut the tension.

 

Gabriel was gazing down the table at him, a scrutinizing and unusually serious look on his face.  He seemed to be toying with what Dean had said before he finally shrugged as though he didn’t have a care in the world.  “I’ve always been a fan of Larry Underwood myself,” Gabe turned back to his food, and pointedly ignored Sam for the rest of the meal.

 

Sam was happy about that, at least.

 

 Xxx  Xx  xxX

 

Blissfully slicing into his large cut of sirloin, Dean made a half-hearted attempt to keep his mouth closed as he chewed.  Now that he’d had a bit of time to suss out the rest of the competition, he wasn’t too concerned about his chances. Dean had watched the other contestants go in and out of the cabana earlier.  With the exception of Sammy’s minor meltdown, Dean was pretty sure that he’d made the biggest impression on Gabriel.

 

He was just glad that he’d been able to head Gabe off before Sam lost his cool over a freaking King novel.  Dean had spent most of the meal watching Gabe and Sam make a point to ignore one another. What amused him the most were the quick, almost longing, glances that the two men shot each other when they figured that they could get away with it.  Cas had been right. There was something to his theory about their brothers. Gabe was intrigued by Sam, and Sam apparently had a much bigger high school crush than he’d let on.

 

Dean snuck a glance at Gabe out of the corner of his eye and tried to _really_ look at him.  The little guy was attractive, Dean could admit that for sure.  He was definitely Sam’s type, Dean knew for a fact. Plus, he was a doctor, and who didn’t have the Dr. Sexy fantasy?  Everyone did--that’s right. But there just wasn’t a spark. Not like he had with Cas. And wasn’t that the bitch of it all?  Cas was Gabriel’s freaking _brother_!  Dean knew that he had to do his best to keep his hands off, but oh--those steel blue eyes were so tempting.  Dean grunted, shifting in his seat, and tried to cover himself by making a comment about how good his steak was.  Next to him, Benny nodded in agreement.

 

“I don’t know,” Lucifer chimed in from across the table.  “I asked for mine well done and it still came out pink.”

 

Dean snorted.  “Only an asshole eats well done steaks.”

 

“Hear, hear,” Benny murmured.

 

Gabriel’s eyes darted back and forth between them, looking as though he was really hoping for fisticuffs to break out over the meal.  Dean actually found that a little endearing. A fight wasn’t actually a totally bad idea, to be honest. Dean tried to keep his cool, knowing that somewhere behind him, Cas was filming his every move.  He knew that if he punched some douche on television in the first episode that he’d never hear the end of it from his old Army buddies.

 

“I guess there’s no accounting for taste,” Dean said in an unusually chipper tone.  Lucifer glared at him.

 

“I own my own _very successful_ interior decorating firm,” Lucifer snapped.  “I have more taste than you would know what to do with.”

 

“Yeah?” Benny chimed in with his low drawl.  “I’m thinking of replacing the curtains in my food truck this autumn--is paisley still in?  Or should I go with something that has _more_ of a pattern?”

 

“Well in my opinion, paisley is--” Lucifer cut himself off as soon as he realized Dean and Benny were making fun of him.  The two were dipping their heads and trying not to snort into their cocktails. At the head of the table, Gabriel was shaking with silent laughter.  “Oh, fuck you both,” Lucifer looked down at his plate and didn’t speak again for a while.

 

Dean was wiping away actual tears when Gabriel held out his hand for a fist bump.  Dean obliged as Lucifer glared on. As he pulled his arm back, his elbow bumped his fork which clattered off of the table, hitting the hardwood floor next to him.  Dean made to bend down when suddenly there was someone in his space on the floor at his side. “Allow me,” Castiel’s deep voice sent a shiver right to Dean’s toes.

 

“I got it, Cas,” Dean said.  

 

Their fingers brushed as Castiel handed him the fork.  Dean chanced a glance up and their eyes met. He sucked in air, and tried to look as though he was perfectly composed.  All he wanted to do was bend over the table for those blue eyes and that perfectly serious tone. He almost didn’t notice when Cas pushed something into his hand with a bit of force.

 

“Hey bro,” Gabe smiled at Castiel.  “How’s tricks?”

 

“Hello Gabriel,” Cas said as he straightened and went to move back to his camera.

 

“You probably don’t want to eat with that one anymore,” Gabe suggested, pointing at Dean’s fork with his dinner roll.  “Unsanitary. That’s how people get ebola.”

 

“That is _not_ how people get ebola,” Cas said from his corner of the room.  The contestants all turned, surprised that one of the cameramen had addressed Gabe.  For his part, Gabriel just laughed and told Cas to ‘stop ruining his fun.’

 

Dean ignored all of it.  His fist closed around the crumpled piece of paper in his hand.  He knew that he should wait. It was too risky to see what it was here at the table.  Anyone could see and he’d be sent packing for certain. Dean was never good at avoiding temptation though.  He waited four whole minutes before unfolding the paper in his lap and trying to look down at it without calling attention to his actions.

 

_‘Meet me out front by the fountain after filming wraps tonight.  Dress warm. --Cas’_

 

Oh, Dean smiled to himself.  It was _on_!  All he had to do was get through a few more social niceties before everyone called it a night.  Dean shifted in his seat so that he could see Cas standing just behind his camera in the corner of the room.  He gave the slightest of head nods, knowing that Castiel knew what he meant. Dean almost felt like he was in a James Bond movie--and that had the potential for a bit of fun and a _lot_ of sex.  Dean was down for both.

 

 Xxx  Xx  xxX

 

Gabriel wasn’t an idiot.  He’d noticed the lingering touch and the slightly creepy eye contact between Dean and his baby brother.  Cassie shouldn’t have left his camera to grab Dean’s fork, and he knew it. Hell, _everyone_ knew it.  Gabe was just glad that Crowley and Rowena hadn’t been around to witness their little exchange.  He smiled to himself as he thought about his brother.

 

Cas had never really had it easy when it came to his love life.  He was reserved and slightly introverted. And despite his stellar looks, Cas was cursed with what most people referred to as ‘Resting Bitch Face.’  He wasn’t very approachable. He also didn’t make the first move when he was attracted to someone. The fact that Castiel seemed to be actively pursuing Dean, in spite of the fact that Dean was there to win over _Gabe,_ was almost shocking.

 

Sure, Dean had been the most fun of all the contestants thus far, but Gabriel wasn’t about to deny his little brother.  If Cas wanted Dean, then Gabe figured he could give them both a little help. As long as Rowena never figured out what was going on, Gabriel decided to keep Dean on the show for as long as he could.  That way, Cas might actually have a shot with the sexy green-eyed man. Besides, Gabriel had his sights set on Sam.

 

The kid was obviously still angry with him, but Gabe wasn’t going to be deterred.  He wanted Sam, and he always got what he wanted. Well... _now_ he did.  It hadn’t always been that way.  Gabriel let his mind flicker back for just a moment before he composed himself.  High school had been so long ago--a world away, really. He didn’t need to dwell on the fact that things had gone so horribly wrong.  Funny though, Gabe pondered, that boy had been named Sam as well. Gabe shook his head, willing away the thoughts of his brother’s nerdy little friend who had captured Gabriel’s interest so thoroughly during that time.  It was in the past, and Gabriel only looked toward the future now.

 

The pocket doors of the dining room slid open and Crowley sauntered into the room, disrupting the various conversations.  “As you all may have guessed,” Crowley looked at each of them. “There _will_ be eliminations this evening.”    

 

Some people made surprised sounds, but most didn’t.  The show had been on the air for a fair few seasons and there was always an elimination or two on the first night.  “Gabriel, if you could join me in the foyer, we would like to get a few action shots of you before the contestants are assembled.”  He waited for Gabe’s nod before he continued. “The rest of you may have your dessert and we will call for you momentarily.”

 

Gabriel pushed his chair back and dropped his napkin onto his plate.  He tried not to look at anyone as he followed Crowley out of the room, but he failed.  His eyes locked with Sam’s for a split second before both of them looked away. Gabe cursed under his breath.  He knew that Rowena and Crowley would expect him to dismiss Sam solely based on their disastrous ‘first date,’ but he was absolutely _not_ going to do that.

 

He did his best to push Sam from his mind as Crowley and a young man named Kevin instructed him on his ‘marks,’ and where to look in the room.  He entered the foyer through the large archway four times to stand by the circular table set up for him before Kevin seemed to be satisfied. “This is super fucking boring,” Gabriel groaned as he took his place once more.  “Please tell me that this is over soon before I die?”

 

“I got it,” Kevin smiled at him.

 

“Finally,” Crowley grumbled.  “Is there anything else we need before I bring the children in?”

 

“No, we should be good,” Kevin said, his smile slightly dimmed at Crowley’s snark.

 

The host exited to herd the contestants into the room and Gabriel frowned as he watched the young cameraman fiddle with his equipment.  He made up his mind and wandered over to his side. “You’re doing a great job,” Gabriel said. Kevin’s head snapped up. He seemed unsure of what to say.  “Seriously,” Gabe continued. “My brother’s a camera operator too. Castiel Novak. He’s working on this show as well.”

 

“I know,” Kevin’s voice sounded slightly awed.  “He’s amazing. I’ve been following his work since I was in school.  His low angle shots on the documentary about Hawaiian yellow-faced bees is, like, legendary!”

 

Gabe smiled.  “Yeah, Cassie had a good time on that shoot.  He loves bees. It’s almost like a creepy obsession.”

 

Kevin chuckled a bit at that.  “He’s a really great guy. He’s been teaching me a lot on this shoot.”

 

“Good,” Gabriel said.  “He’ll be happy to help you out, I’m sure.  But honestly, kid--you’re doing fine. Don’t let Crowley push you around.”  Kevin nodded, but looked away as the others began to trickle into the room.

 

It took almost a half an hour to get everyone placed where they could all be seen properly.  There was a minor issue when the tall red-head that Gabe thought was named Abby was crowded out of her lighting by the exceptionally tiny Ruby.  The two women almost came to blows over it, which was mildly amusing.

 

Once everyone was properly situated, Crowley gave Gabriel a small shove toward his table.  Gabe rolled his eyes and dragged his feet as he went to his mark. He perked up a bit when he saw the large silver tray in the center of the table.  It was full of humongous, brightly colored lollipops. He’d requested them when he signed on, but he wasn’t sure that his wish would be granted. Rowena had scoffed at him, but apparently she’d come through in the end.

 

“As you are all aware,” Crowley said in a bored tone.  “The bachelor of each season is allowed to choose an item to bestow on their favored dates during the elimination.”  He gestured toward Gabe, who held up one of the giant candies. Crowley shook his head and muttered the word, “childish,” under his breath.  “Anyway,” Crowley glared at the contestants. “Gabriel will hand out a...thing.”

 

“Yeah I will,” Gabe piped up.  

 

Glaring at him, Crowley cleared his throat through the snickers.  “Anyone who receives a...candy...will be allowed to remain. If you are _not_ given candy, you must leave immediately.  One of our crew members will escort you to the airport.”

 

“Can’t even let people stay the night?” Dean said loudly.  “That’s douchey.”

 

“Those are the rules,” Lucifer snapped over his shoulder.  He didn’t turn around, so he missed the pulled face he got from Dean.  Gabriel didn’t and he cracked up.

 

“Children!” Rowena called from the door, clapping her hands.  “We don’t have all evening,” she scolded them. “Gabriel,” Rowena smacked him on the hip.  “Stop encouraging them.”

 

“Sorry, Red Riding Hood,” Gabe laughed at her.  When she glared, he pretended to pout, but remained quiet.

 

Rowena conversed quitely with Crowley for a moment and then began to point at the different crew members with instructions.  After a while, she announced they were ready to go, and filming began. They were going to shoot live as much as they could, and Gabe knew that he’d have to reign himself in just enough that they wouldn’t have re-shoots.  Not only would it be boring as fuck, he was also tired and wanted to go to bed.

 

Crowley began a little introduction before handing the floor over to Gabriel as he stepped off to the side, away from the cameras.  This was it. Gabe wanted to get things over with as quickly as possible, so he figured that he’d just dive right in. He picked up an almost neon blue lollipop and grinned saucily at the assembled crowd.  Some of them seemed to be anxious, others confident (like Dean), or glowering at him as Sam was. Gabe quirked his lips and tauntingly waved the candy in front of his face. “Sam?”

 

Everyone--literally everyone--turned to stare at the tall man.  Even Sam looked beyond shocked. He blinked for a few seconds until Dean elbowed him.  Gabriel’s heart was hammering in his chest as he watched Sam move across the floor toward him.  He was actually nervous about this. That was a surprise to him. Gabe wanted to find his ‘true love,’ sure--but he didn’t think he’d get so worked up about this whole experience.

 

Sam drew level with him and he looked down at Gabriel’s face.  For a brief moment, they just stared at each other. Rowena cleared her throat from somewhere behind him and Gabe actually started.  He shoved the candy at Sam and said, “Would you like to suck it?”

 

He heard Rowena say, “Oh for fuck’s sake!”  He had been told to ask the contestants if they would ‘accept his gift,’ but he’d decided that sounded stupid, so he improvised.  He’d meant to say something different and suave, but Sam’s--everything--had made him just blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

 

Sam looked trapped.  His eyes were bugging out and he seemed utterly confused.  “Uh,” he managed, glancing around the room.

 

Inside, Gabriel began to panic.  His stomach was rolling and he thought that he might be having a minor heart attack.  Sam was going to shoot him down, wasn’t he? Fuck! He couldn’t move. Gabe just stood there, holding the lollipop out toward Sam like a moron while they both blinked at one another for an agonizingly long time.

 

“Bloody hell,” Crowley finally shouted.  “Do you want to stay or not, you giant moose?”

 

Sam seemed to snap out of it at the insult and snatched the candy from Gabriel’s hand.  He held it to his chest and gave Gabe a wary look before saying, “Sure, yeah, okay.”

 

“Fantastic, kiddo,” Gabe said, recovering enough to give Sam a wink.  He slumped a bit as Sam turned to walk back to his place in the group.  Gabe allowed himself a second to just breathe. He’d really thought Sam was going to say no and walk out.

 

The rest of the Elimination Ceremony--as Rowena had called it earlier--went much smoother.  Dean hopped excitedly up to Gabe when his name was called. He even whispered a lewd comment back at Gabe when he took the proffered candy.  However, Gabriel didn’t miss the steamy way that Dean stared at Castiel as he walked away. He chuckled a bit as his brother ducked behind his camera at Dean’s glances.  Those two needed to tone shit down before Rowena caught on and kicked Dean off the show herself.

 

When the last lollipop lay on the gleaming tray, Gabriel actually hesitated for a moment, biting his lip.  He was perfectly confidant in his choices. The first five minute dates had been enough of an eye-opener that he was fine with how things would end up tonight.  In all honesty, they could have all said they wanted to leave--as long as Sam stayed. But, Gabe had to play the game. He _had_ signed a contract, after all.

 

Letting out a whoosh of air, he turned to smile as he picked up the last of the candy.  He waited while Crowley pointed out that once Gabe had given the last lolly, that the remaining contestants would have to leave.  He narrowed his eyes at the smirk Crowley gave to the three people remaining. Their host was a bit of an asshole.

 

“Whenever you’re ready to break a few hearts, Gabriel,” Crowley said to him with a creepy smile.  “The floor is yours.”

 

Gabe rolled his eyes and tried to shuffle slightly further away from Crowley’s side.  He held up the lollipop and scanned the group. He couldn’t resist a quick look at Sam.  The younger man was still frowning, and watching Gabe closely. Gabe tore his eyes away and looked back at the remaining three whose hands were empty.  He drew it out as long as he could, considering his natural impatience. But Rowena had impressed on him earlier that he had to play the audience a little in order to make good television.  He did his best, mostly because he knew that Rowena was most likely fuming that he’d made sure the last three contestants were _all_ female.

 

Gabe smiled thinly.  He knew that he was making the right choice, even if some people may not quite get it.  “Billie,” he held out the candy to the quiet woman.

 

Her stoic expression cracked slightly as she took a step toward him.  It was as though she was completely shocked to be chosen. When she accepted the candy from Gabriel and returned to her place, it was finished.

 

Crowley popped up again and made Gabe jump a bit.  The man was sneaky, and it was unnerving. “I am so sorry,” Crowley simpered.  He didn’t sound sorry and Gabe rolled his eyes. “If you did not receive any candy, then you must leave.  You are allowed a moment to say your farewells.”

 

Everyone watched as Bela and Abbadon slid around the other contestants, their faces set into angry masks.  Abbadon took a moment to whisper something in Lucifer’s ear before she left. Bela just walked away silently and stood by the door, waiting for Abbadon to catch up.  When her friend joined her, Bela finally turned toward Gabriel and loudly said, “Good luck with your pool of losers.”

 

Gabriel glared at her.  Oh yeah, he’d definitely made the right choice.  The woman was a total bitch and her friend wasn’t much better.  He didn’t need that kind of bullshit. He was too old to deal with the likes of Bela and Abbadon--it was best that they got out now.  “Thanks babe,” he said sarcastically. “I’m pretty happy with the ones I’ve got left. Enjoy your life, I’m sure it will be horrific for anyone you come into contact with.”

 

“Asshole,” Bela mumbled as she spun on her heels and stomped out of the ranch.

 

“Is there anything else you would like to say?” Crowley asked him when the two women had disappeared.

 

Raking his hands down his face, Gabe could feel the exhaustion setting in.  Not only did he feel a hundred years old, he was crashing from the adrenaline and stress of the day.  “Yeah,” he said shortly. “I’m super excited that you’re all here and I can’t wait to get to know each of you better.”  He tried to make eye contact with everyone who was left. Sam stared at the floor when Gabriel’s eyes swept over him. “I have an awesome group date planned for all of us tomorrow, so get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

Without a backward glance, Gabe turned and walked away.  He was done. If they wanted to film anymore shots they could do it with a stand-in or tape a picture of him to a crew member’s face.  He was tired and conflicted and just over it.

 

Once he was safely locked in his room, he made a beeline for the bathroom.  He rummaged around his things until he found the bottle of prescription sleeping pills that he had been looking for.  He needed a decent night’s rest. Gabe dry swallowed a pill and set about brushing his teeth.

 

He got into bed and turned out the lamp, bathing the room in darkness.  As he settled back into the squashy mattress and the feather pillows, he thought about the events of the day.  Gabriel sighed. He really hoped that he hadn’t made a huge mistake by signing on for this show.

 

  Xxx  Xx  xxX

 

Sam watched Gabriel walk away.  He was actually surprised that he was still there--let alone the first one chosen to stay.  He’d figured that Gabriel would get him out of there as quickly as possible after their less than stellar encounters.  Apparently he was wrong. Despite his feelings toward the man, Sam found himself excited to be there. For the first time since he’d realized Gabriel was there, Sam genuinely smiled.

 

He looked down at the lollipop in his hand, his mind whirling.  Cas had said to seek revenge, and Sam was totally on board with that plan.  But when Gabriel had given him the candy, their eyes had locked and for a moment there, Sam forgot that he hated the shorter man.  All he saw were those glimmering amber eyes leaning toward him, bright with desire.

 

He shook his head, his glare etched back onto his face.  He wasn’t going to think about that. It had obviously not meant anything, and it was over.  The past. Sam would hold on to his anger, but he wouldn’t let himself be clouded by stupid skewed memories.  He said goodnight to Dean and stomped back to his room. Once there, he found himself carefully placing the lollipop into his bag, instead of throwing it against the wall like he’d expected.

 

Sam got ready for bed, and refused to think about what that could possibly mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel doesn't DO roses...no...he hands out giant colorful candy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys play a game, Cas and Dean get closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic nightmare sequence involving medical trauma. If you're easily triggered, the scene is in italics, so its easy to skip if you'd rather not read that part. See the end notes if you want the gist of the scene without having to read the details of it.

 

_There was obviously some sort of magic surrounding the lake house.  Gabriel had always known that. It was always balmy with the bright sun reflecting off of the water.  It never rained when they were there. Out into the water, Gabe could see Cassie standing on the edge of the gnarled wooden raft, anchored in the lake.  His brother spent his days in his room, lost in books--except when they came here. Something about the lake house stirred Castiel’s ‘inner kid’ and Gabe always found it amusing that his serious, quiet sibling would become a rowdy and rambunctious child--even going so far as to interact with other kids in the area._

_He shaded his eyes with his hand and watched as Cas laughed at another boy before they both jumped into the cool, clear water.  Gabe wrinkled his nose. Cas was a kid. Why did his brother look about seven years old? They hadn’t even come back to the late house after--_

_Gabriel turn and looked behind him at the small house he remembered.  He could smell the banana bread that his mother would only bake when they were here.  He could hear the scratch of his father’s pencil as he scribbled new ideas into that old composition book.  Even the slightly wilting flowers, overstuffed in their pots on the porch were there. This wasn’t right._

_The screen door of the cabin creaked open, slamming with a crack.  Gabriel’s mouth dropped open when he saw his mother carefully setting herself into her favorite rocking chair.  She looked translucent and there was thick bruising under her eyes. Knowing what he did now, the doctor in him screamed.  He could see it. He could see all of it. He should have known. Fuck, no matter what--she still looked beautiful._

_Gabriel took an unconscious step toward her and he knew that he was crying.  He couldn’t stop the tears--he never could. Gabe swallowed thickly through the emotion as he slowly moved to the edge of the porch.  His mother sat in her chair, rocking lightly, her eyes scanning the lake. He knew when she had spotted Cas playing when the tiny crooked smile pulled at her lips.  Fuck, it had been so long since he’d seen her smile. She hadn’t smiled much after._

_Without thinking, Gabe stretched out his hand, reaching for her.  The pale skin of her arm was so close. She was inches from him. The door slammed once more and Gabe pulled his hand away sharply as his head swiveled.  His mouth dropped open as he saw himself--probably no older than ten--walk across the porch and throw himself into the chair next to his mother._

_“Don’t you want to play angel?” His mother’s voice was so soothing and light.  Gabriel closed his eyes, just as his younger self did the same._

_“No,” he heard himself respond.  “I like hanging out with you. You’re my best friend.”_

_Gabe fluttered his eyes open and looked at his mother.  She was smiling at him. Not at him--at Kid Him. His stomach roiled with jealousy as his mother leaned over to ruffle his younger version’s hair.  Great. Now he was jealous of himself._

_“Well, angel,” his mother said.  “It’s your vacation and you are allowed to do whatever you want.  Except--” she fixed the small boy with a smile._

_“Get arrested or steal dad’s shaving cream,” Gabriel recited the familiar line along with his past self._

_His mother suddenly stopped rocking and her eyes went wide as she looked up at the sky.  The sun seemed to be drifting behind a cloud. “It looks like rain,” she commented._

_Gabriel furrowed his brow.  No. It didn’t rain here. Not ever.  He turned and as soon as he saw the deep, stormy grey of the sky, he knew that something was terribly wrong.  He blinked and saw quick, bright flashes behind his eyelids. A split second later, he opened his eyes and was standing in a dimly lit sterile hallway.  The tiles beneath him were a generic white and slightly cracked. This wasn’t right._

_The doorway to his left was open and Gabriel couldn’t help himself.  He stepped inside. In an instant he doubled over at the smell. The sickly sweet smell of floral perfume mixed with a underlying scent of rotting meat.  Like a horrible secret where everything was supposed to be wonderful. He knew that smell. Gabriel held on to the wall and tried not to breathe, to no avail.  Bleach. Plastic. The overwhelming scent of rust pressing against him. He heaved, but nothing came out._

_Knowing that he needed to leave, Gabe forced himself to stand up straight, his hand unable to let go of the clean white wall next to him.  When he finally looked into the room it had become a hallway that seemed to go on forever. There were gleaming silver tables lined up as far as he could see on either side.  As he began to walk between them, he noticed all of the instruments. Each stainless steel piece had been carefully set and evenly spaced on the stark, sterile looking tables._

_Gabriel grit his teeth and wished that he didn’t recognize every single one of them.  He knew all of those instruments--their names and what they did. He didn’t want to picture them being used.  It was different on a faceless patient. Knowing what he knew as a doctor actually made all of this so much worse._

_From somewhere up above him, he heard a faint robotic voice say, “Dr. Novak, you’re needed.  Dr. Novak.”_

_He gasped and spun around, trying to physically see where the voice was coming from.  When he turned and slammed into something warm and hard, he actually screamed and stumbled back.  It was Castiel. He was a grown up now. He had on scrubs, which didn’t make sense. Cas never wore scrubs.  He worked in television, not a hospital. It took Gabe a full thirty seconds to realize that his brother was covered in blood.  The pale green scrubs were splattered and soaked through. Someone, somewhere was down a few pints._

_“She’s gone, Gabriel,” Cas said.  “She’s gone.”_

_And then everything went black._

Gabriel sat up in bed, soaked with sweat.  His bare chest was glistening and he could feel the perspiration dripping down his back into the band of his sleep pants.  He actually grabbed at his own heart to slow his breathing as he blearily took in the moonlit room. He was alone. Thank fuck.  He hadn’t had a nightmare like that for almost a year. The sleeping pills that his colleague, Hael, had prescribed usually worked.  Apparently not tonight. Why the hell was he dreaming of her again?

He thought back through the events of the day, trying to piece together something--anything--that would explain his nightmare.  Sometimes the smallest thing would set him off. The smell of banana bread was unbearable now. In fact, he just tried to steer clear of plain old bananas just in case.  Gabriel clicked on the light and swung his feet out of bed. He sat motionless for a few minutes before standing up and almost crawling to the en suite bathroom.

Bending over the sink, he turned on the faucet and stuck his lips into the flow, trying to soothe his raw throat.  Searching around for a glass was too much effort at the moment--this would have to do. When he finally straightened up, he sighed at the reflection in the mirror.  He looked like shit. Most could be cured with a shower and a little effort in the morning, such as his wayward hair. Others, like the sunken look to his normally expressive eyes, worried him.

He couldn’t afford to break down now.  As much as he’d originally scoffed at the entire ‘dating game’ concept, Gabriel really did want to find love.  He was thirty-seven and he was sick of going to bed alone. He wanted someone to adopt a dog with. Someone who would laugh at his jokes and still call him on his bullshit when he was an occasional asshole.  Honestly, this stupid competition was probably his last shot at happiness--and wasn’t that fucking depressing?

Gabriel rubbed cheeks as he shuffled back into his bedroom and flopped down on the bed, all of his limbs spread out.  He didn’t bother turning out the light. He simply shut his eyes and tried to think of something that would make him forget that fucking nightmare.  He wasn’t very surprised when the first thing that popped into his head was Sam’s face.

He could see those bright hazel eyes glittering and Gabe could _almost_ picture those sexy pink lips pulling into a grin.  Not that he’d seen Sam smile once since they’d met.  But it still wasn’t difficult to imagine. For some reason, he could shape Sam’s gorgeous face into all sorts of expressions when his eyes were closed.  That was odd. He knew that there was something off about the kid--he just couldn’t put his finger on it. The look on Sam’s face the moment their eyes first caught.  That fucking disaster of a ‘first date’ in the poolside cabana. The vehement way the kid defended his choice of reading material. Sam seemed almost...familiar. It was irritating and it bothered Gabriel.

Grunting as he opened his eyes and sat up again, Gabriel glared around the room absently and tried to figure out why he was so drawn to the tall suitor.  Sam had made it clear that he didn’t really enjoy Gabe’s company. So why was he here? Gabriel grumbled to himself as he finally clicked off his lamp and crawled back into bed.  Now he was in a slightly bad mood as he tried to unravel the mystery of Samuel Winchester. At least he wasn’t thinking about that nightmare anymore. Thankful for small favors, Gabe tossed and turned for another hour before he finally drifted off.  This time, he didn’t dream.

 

X x X

 

Dean ran his fingers along Castiel’s jaw, relishing in the feel of stubble on his skin.  Their lips were brushing lightly as they snuggled loosely into each other’s arms. Cas’ head fell back and Dean didn’t waste any time diving in towards the other man’s neck.  He ran his mouth along the skin until he found the perfect place to latch on. Dean sucked deeply into Castiel’s exposed neck, hoping for a bright bruise.

“Dean,” Cas’ gasped.  “You can’t--we can’t--”

“No one tells me what to do,” Dean said after a minute.  “If I want to kiss you, then I’m damn well going to do it.”

“You’ll be reprimanded and released from the show,” Cas said, pulling back to look into Dean’s eyes.  “I’ll admit that when I asked you here, I was going to warn you off. You’re supposed to be courting my brother.”

“Okay,” Dean said, finally realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to keep distracting Cas with his lips.  “Here’s the thing, Cas,” Dean said firmly. “I liked your brother--as a friend. We got along. But he’s not what I’m looking for.”  Cas looked skeptical. “On top of that, I’ll admit that I’m pretty pissed off that your brother is apparently _my_ brother’s childhood crush who bullied him.  I have a feeling that Sam won’t date now because of whatever bullshit happened to him in high school when he was a fat little weirdo.”

“Dean!”

“Now he’s a hot weirdo,” Dean continued, ignoring Castiel.  “And he still won’t take a chance. I’m pretty sure he’s _tried_ to date, and just freaked out and given up.  And I’m pretty sure that your brother might be to blame.”

“Dean,” Cas sounded melancholy.

“But if Sammy wants to stay and seek his closure or revenge or whatever--I’m staying too.  I’ll always back my little brother,” Dean looked Cas in the eyes. “So yeah, when I first met Gabe, I liked him.”  He laughed at the glare Castiel gave him. “Not like that,” he reassured the man in his arms. “He’s not my type, honestly.  But you...you are very much my type, Mr. Novak,” Dean went in for another kiss. He was ecstatic when Cas responded.

After a few moments of heated kisses, Castiel pulled away once more, making Dean groan.  “I don’t blame you for being angry with Gabriel,” Cas said. “And I am on Sam’s side in this, I am.”  

“But?” Dean knew it was coming.

“But you don’t know the entire story,” Castiel said.  “I know that I said it was for Gabriel to tell if he wished, but I think you need to know.  As angry as I am with my brother for the way that he acted back then, he’s still my brother.”

Dean’s brow furrowed as he took in Castiel’s face.  He let himself have one moment to get lost in those perfect blue eyes before he nodded and leaned back to listen.  Cas spoke with earnestness and contained emotion that was powerful to behold. Dean could tell that what he was saying was the absolute truth and that it wasn’t easy for Cas to discuss.  He stayed mostly quiet, simply nodding along to show that he was paying attention. By the time the sun came up, Dean had a whole slew of new information that gave him pause. Things were complicated now that he knew.  He would always have Sam’s back, but the part of Dean that missed his own mother and was haunted by the things he had done, made him feel for Gabriel. He understood pain--and fear--all too well.

As Dean was pulled back into Castiel’s arms for one more searing kiss before they parted, he tried to forget everything except the feel of those pink lips on his own.  He’d deal with all of this crap later. For now, he was going to enjoy these stolen moments when the cameras were off. He’d figure it all out--eventually. The last thought he allowed before he lost himself in Cas was, ‘Sammy, you sure know how to pick ‘em.’

X x X

 

Breakfast the next morning wasn’t a pleasant affair for Sam.  He was still wondering why he was there and mollified that Gabriel had picked him to stay.  There was an elegant buffet set up along the wall in the dining room and Sam picked over it, looking for something remotely healthy.  He settled on a fruit salad that looked as though it had been marinated in sugar, and a lemon yogurt. His obnoxious roommate followed him and much to Sam’s chagrin, Lucifer sat down right next to him.

“Rough night, Samuel?” Lucifer asked innocently.

“It’s Sam,” he corrected.  “And no, I’m fine.”

“You didn’t sound fine,” Lucifer pointed out.  He glanced around the table with those cold blue eyes and announced to everyone that Sam had kept him awake with his tossing and turning.  “It was unpleasant. Don’t do it again.”

“Right,” Sam scoffed.  “Because I can control myself in my sleep.”

“There’s no problem here, is there?” Dean appeared behind Lucifer’s chair and clapped a firm hand on the other man’s shoulder.  Even from a distance, Sam could see Lucifer flinch as Dean squeezed into his collarbone.

“We’re fine,” Lucifer managed to grunt out.

“Awesome,” Dean smiled thinly.  “Morning, Sammy,” he addressed his brother.  Sam just nodded and watched as Dean filled two plates with mostly pastries and bacon.  He was honestly surprised that his brother was in such good shape considering the way he ate.

Dean had taken his seat and began to tuck into his meal when the door slid open once more.  Gabriel stumbled into the room, rubbing his eyes and looking exhausted and slightly freaked out.  Sam narrowed his eyes as he watched the man head toward the breakfast buffet and grab a plate. Apparently Gabe had a similar diet to his brother, because the shorter man piled a plate full of bacon, jelly donuts, croissants, and two fried eggs, while completely bypassing the fruit or granola.

Gabriel sat down in the chair opposite of Dean instead of at the head of the table.  Sam watched as the two of them eyed the other’s plates with a smile. “Nice choices,” Gabe said with a tired grin.

“You too,” Dean complimented.  They each picked up a piece of bacon and touched them together in a weird, meaty, celebratory toast.  Sam frowned. He didn’t want Dean getting along with Gabriel. It was unnatural. Last night, his brother had been ready to tear Gabe’s arms off, and today they were bacon buddies?   _Way to have some loyalty, Dean._

Sam bit the inside of his cheek so that he wouldn’t say anything.  He couldn't call out Dean without revealing to Gabriel and everyone else what was going on.  Lucifer had been correct--Sam _had_ had a shitty night.  He’d lied awake until he started to see the sun, thinking.  He’d finally come to the conclusion that despite their history--Gabriel didn’t remember him.  

He knew that he’d changed since high school.  He’d grown about a foot and lost the baby fat that circled his middle.  His braces were gone, and he’d splurged a few years ago on a professional teeth whitening.  He had also stopped slouching since he no longer carried a forty pound backpack. If his creepy coworker Becky’s assessment held water, then Sam was a looker.  He figured that he was decent looking now, but sometimes the reactions he got from people made him wonder if he might actually be...hot. Like, _really_ hot.  

Fifteen year old Sam _wasn’t_ hot.  So maybe he’d changed enough that Gabe honestly had no clue who he was.  In the back of his mind though, Sam remembered that last afternoon before everything went to hell.  He saw Gabriel watching him, those golden eyes conveying interest. He saw those full lips moving closer.  Sam grunted and shook himself out of the memory. At that moment, he realized that he was ever so slightly hard in his pants and he swore under his breath.  He did _not_ need this.  Not now.

“You doing okay Sammich?” Gabriel’s voice cut through, piercing him.

“Don’t call me that,” Sam growled.  At least the use of that tortuous nickname made his dick deflate.  Thinking of the popular kids teasing his chubby teenaged self with ‘Sammich needs a sandwich,’ didn’t bode well for keeping an erection.  At least that was a plus. Fucking Gabriel. He was the one who made up that stupid nickname in the first place. Sure, Alistair was the one who used it as a taunt in the end, but Gabe had said it first.

He considered leaving.  Not the show--just the room.  He wanted to collect himself. Dean was watching him with concern and Gabriel was too.  He started to push his chair away from the table when Crowley and Rowena sashayed into the dining room.  “How lovely to see you all this fine morning,” Rowena cried. “Isn’t that right, Fergus?”

Crowley glared daggers at her and then turned away, ignoring the producer.  “Is everyone ready to begin our first full day?” No one really responded. “I can’t work with this,” Crowley complained at the lack of enthusiasm.

“I’m sure they’re just jet-lagged,” Rowena placated him.  “Gabriel, would you like to start your special group date with our lovely people?”

“Sure,” Gabriel’s smile was tight.  Sam wondered if Gabe had had a rough night as well.  He looked exhausted and almost sad. It made Sam’s stomach twist in a familiar way and he forced himself to pull out of the sensation.  Gabriel made an attempt at his usual demeanor and hopped out of his chair. “Why the fuck not?”

Apparently, things had to be organized--mostly the cameras and lighting equipment.  And everyone needed to be given discrete portable microphones so that they would be heard when the show aired.  They were given a few hours to get dressed for the ‘date,’ and do whatever they wished. Benny trotted off toward the kitchens, while Lisa and Balthazar decided to go swimming again.  Dean mumbled something about wanting a nap, and Sam had no clue where Gabriel had disappeared to.

When he looked around the room, it was only him and Lucifer left, and Sam didn’t want to spend anymore time with that man than he had to.  Sam hurriedly excused himself and decided to explore the ranch. Maybe he’d run across a library or a secret passageway while he waited for whatever torture Gabriel had dreamed up for a group date.

That afternoon, a few hours later, Sam stood near Dean and warily eyed Crowley who was looking over notes before filming began. Gabriel stood next to the smarmy host, hands stuffed in his pockets, his eyes hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses. “Ok boys and girls, today we will be playing a game. Gabriel here will announce the prize when we have a winner.”

Sam snickered at the boring tone that Crowley always seemed to have. He gulped a little at the thought of playing games, he was more of a reading a good book or working out type of person.

Dean let out a cheer as two assistants brought out boards and a mesh bag. Pulling out a measuring tape, the boards were placed twenty-four feet apart facing each other. Four blue toss bags were placed on one board, four red toss bags were placed on the other.

“Dude, we’re going to play cornhole!” Dean elbowed Sam happily as he bounced from foot to foot. _Great,_ Sam thought sarcastically.

“Ok, first team will be Dean and Sam against Luke and Benny.” Crowley announced and the four guys walked over to the boards. After Crowley went over the rules, Sam stepped over to one board and faced Dean who stood at the other board. Benny thankfully was next to him, Sam had more than his fill of Luke. Sam and Benny were the first team to toss the bags and Sam bent over to pick up the red bags.

“Nice ass!” Gabriel called out, causing Sam to blush and duck his head. Damn him! His traitorous body should not be reacting to him this way...but it was.

Stepping to the edge of the board, Sam lifted a bag, aimed and let it fly. He overcompensated and it flew a good three feet beyond the board. Next was Benny’s turn, his bag barely reaching the front of the board. Sam managed to get his other three bags onto the board while Benny sank two bags into the hole and his last bag pegged Lucifer in the leg.

Lucifer glared at Benny as he took his shot, landing all four into the hole with uncanny precision. Dean stepped up next, three of his bags landing on the board, the other narrowly missing Sam. “Sorry Sammy.”

“No worries Dean, I’d be amazed if I don’t bean someone in the head with one of these.” Sam murmured, earning a laugh out of Gabriel as he collected the bags for the next round. Sam struggled to focus on putting the damn bean bags onto the board and not how Gabriel’s laugh made him all weak and tingly.

The second round was much like the first one, Sam narrowly landed all four bags into the hole, two sliding in at the last second. Benny tossed his next, even throwing in some fancy spinning move that knocked Sam’s two remaining bags onto the ground. “Sorry dude,” he said grinning. Sam simply shrugged, eyeing Gabriel who was slowly inching toward him.

“You know boys,” Gabriel said smoothly from behind them.  “I give extra points if you manage to make me blush using the word ‘cornhole.’”

“Of course you do,” Sam muttered as Dean laughed.

Dean managed to sink all four of his bags into the hole, Gabriel bouncing up and down screaming happily, like he was Dean’s own personal cheerleader. Lucifer landed three bags onto the board, the other way to the left and he huffed and crossed his arms as Gabriel and Dean jeered at him. _Wow, he’s a bit of a sore loser,_ Sam thought as he picked up the bags for the next round.

“Get all four bags in and I’ll sleep with you.” Gabriel murmured, standing on his tiptoes to try and reach Sam’s ear. Sam gasped, slightly turning to narrow his eyes in irritation.

“Are you always this perverted?”

“Always Sammy. Always.” Gabriel smirked, winking at Sam before stepping back to his original position.

Sam took a deep breath, struggling to make himself relax. Even after all this time, Gabriel had a way of getting under Sam’s skin. As much as he wanted to still hate him, something in him deep down still cared for Gabriel.

The game continued, Gabriel wheezing with laughter every time Dean wiggled his ass as he went to toss a bag, yelling some perverted phrase about cornhole at every opportunity. Sam wiped a hand across his forehead, it was hotter than hell out here, all he wanted to do was relax with a cold beer.

After what seemed like hours, Benny and Dean fucking around more than they were playing, Crowley finally called an end to the game. “Dean and Sam have officially won,” he droned.  “Gabriel here can tell you the prize.”

Luke stomped off, Benny clapping Sam and Dean both on the shoulders as everyone trailed back toward the house. Sam didn’t miss the grin Dean shot over to Cas, there was definitely something there between the two of them.

“Well boys,” Gabriel drawled as he wandered over to where Dean and Sam stood. “The prize for winning the cornhole game is a private date.”

“Um, actually, I’m not feeling too hot, you kids have fun, I’m going to go relax in my room.” Dean nodded to Sam, nudging Gabriel with his shoulder. “You two behave yourselves. Hey Cas, wait up!” He took off in a jog, leaving Sam and Gabriel on the patio.

“Wow, he’s real subtle isn’t he?” Gabriel said with a grin. “Looks like it’s just me and you Sammy.”

Sam almost corrected him, but stopped himself. It would be pointless, Gabriel would call him whatever he wanted, no matter how many times Sam protested. Suddenly, he thought of the perfect “date” for the two of them.  They _were_ on a ranch after all. “Have you ever been horseback riding?”

“Umm, no. I haven’t.” Sam struggled not to smile at the panicked look in Gabriel’s eyes. Fearless Gabriel, afraid of horses? Interesting.

“Well, that’s what I decided we should do for our date. Let’s go,  Napoleon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter opens with Gabriel having a nightmare. He is at a lake house and sees Castiel as a child as well as himself. He also sees his mother and it is established that he is very close to her. The scene cuts away in his mind to a hospital hallway where he is tormented by sights and smells that are medical in nature. It ends with a now grown up Cas telling him that "She's gone" over and over- Gabe wakes up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Camera Confessionals!!
> 
> If script/screenplay formatting annoys you, then we apologize. It won't be a regular thing--we just thought it would be fun to do once. There are some important things that happen though, so you won't want to miss it.

_CAMERA focuses. CAMERA unfocuses._

 

ROWENA

For the love of all—are you bloody ready?

 

_VOICE off camera.  CAMERA focuses._

 

ROWENA

I know that this might be overwhelming, but you can’t _(bleep)_ this up, dear.  Kevin!

 

_ROWENA snaps her fingers at the camera._

 

ROWENA

A recommendation from me could do wonders. I understand that you want to make environmental documentaries?  I can make that happen—but you can’t let me down. Understand, wee one? Excellent.

 

_ROWENA smiles at the camera, her hands clasped._

 

ROWENA

One of the biggest parts of reality television that causes drama is the Confessional.  A little one on one with the camera where they can dish and show their true colors. And I need _more_ !  Do you follow where I’m going with this, Kevin?

 

_VOICE off screen.  ROWENA grins and winks._

 

ROWENA

I _knew_ I could count on you, love!  Now just make sure that everyone says at least _something_ intelligible for you and we’ll have it all worked out in editing later.  Remember darling, I want drama! I _need_ drama!  

 

_ROWENA stops smiling and glares at the CAMERA._

 

ROWENA

Don’t make me bloody fire you.

 

_CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE—Interior Shot.  BENNY sits at a stool in the ranch’s kitchen.  He is peeling an orange._

 

BENNY

Should I go?  Are we ready?

 

_VOICE off screen.  BENNY nods and points at the camera before continuing._

 

BENNY

So far I’m having a decent time.  I like my roommate, but he doesn’t seem as though he is really into the competition.  Not that I am either, I guess.

 

CROWLEY _(off camera)_

Why not?

 

_BENNY shifts uncomfortably._

 

BENNY

I’m looking for a relationship.  I am. But it’s mostly for my niece.  I’ve been taking care of her ever since my sister passed away three years ago.  A friend of mine suggested it was time to get back out there. My ex walked out the day after my sister’s funeral.  He said I was too ‘obsessed with my grief.’ Whatever the _(bleep)_ that means.

 

CROWLEY _(off camera)_

And do you think that Gabriel could be the right man for you?

 

BENNY

I like him.  He’s kind of...crazy, I think.  But he’s fun. I could use some fun in my life.  And he’s a decent cook, so that’s a plus for me. I’m a chef myself, and I don’t know if I’d want to be with someone who can’t boil water.  I wouldn’t be able to talk about my work, which is my passion. I think he’d like my niece. I hope he would.

 

_BENNY pauses and glances away from the camera.  Something distracted him._

 

BENNY (CONT*)

Don’t count me out yet.  I’m still making up my mind.

 

_CAMERA cuts out._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Exterior Shot.  BALTHAZAR sits near the pool, shirtless._

 

BALTHAZAR

Yeah, I’m a little bloody pissed that I’m not getting as much face time with Gabe as some of the others.  He and I are cut from the same cloth--we would work! But he’s always running off with those Winchester brothers.

 

_BALTHAZAR snorts and kicks his feet in the water._

 

BALTHAZAR (CONT*)

That one, Sam, I think?  The tall one. He doesn’t even want to be here!  He got into a damn fight with Gabe on the first day!  Everyone saw. It’s a bloody _(bleep)_ conspiracy in my opinion.  And I’m not the only one taking it the wrong way.

 

_PEOPLE are seen walking behind BALTHAZAR and he pauses until they’ve left._

 

BALTHAZAR

Gabe might think that tall piece of ass is the One, but he isn’t.  There is something off about Sam. And when I get my personal private date with our own Dr. Sexy, I’ll make sure that it ends...happily.

 

_CAMERA cuts out._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Exterior Shot.  LISA is walking along the edge of the ranch’s main house._

 

LISA

Well, there’s no denying that he’s hot!  I think that he might like me, so that’s comforting.  I’m sure that I’ll be here until the very end. We have so much in common.  We both know what it’s like to work in a high-stress environment.

 

_LISA smiles brightly into the camera._

 

LISA

I think that it’s important for medical professionals to stick together.  No one else really understands the kind of work we do or the things that we see everyday.  Someone who doesn't spend their workday having their hands in other people’s bodies just...don’t get it.  Labor and Delivery is different than plastic surgery, sure--but we’re both helping people.  And I think Gabriel would appreciate a woman who knows how important his work really is. These other people just won’t understand.

 

_LISA pauses and laughs._

 

LISA

I mean, I think that one kid--Sam--is like, a librarian or something.  He doesn’t have any stress in his life. He’d just be confused when Gabriel talked about his day and eventually it would drive a wedge in their relationship.

 

_VOICE off camera.  LISA squints and leans forward to listen._

 

LISA

I’m not worried about him--or anyone else.  I know that Gabriel will make the right choice.  And that choice is me.

 

_CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Interior Shot.  BILLIE sits in the living room of the ranch.  She is staring at the camera. VOICE off screen.  BILLIE blinks. VOICE off screen. BILLIE shakes her head, stands up and walks away.  CAMERA follows her._

 

_CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Interior Shot.  DEAN is in a hallway of the ranch.  A dark-haired UNKNOWN MAN is with him.  They appear to be arguing._

 

DEAN

I’m just saying that he has a right to know.

 

UNKNOWN MAN

You promised me that you wouldn’t say anything.

 

DEAN

I know.  But it changed my mind about your brother, and I think it will make Sammy see him differently as well.  In a good way. And I--

 

_DEAN cuts off and glares down the hallway at the CAMERA.  DEAN holds up a hand to silence the UNKNOWN MAN._

 

DEAN

What the _(bleep)_ do you _(bleep)_ want you _(bleep)_ ?

 

UNKNOWN MAN

Dean!

 

_DEAN walks toward CAMERA angrily._

 

DEAN

You better _(bleep)_ stop filming this or I swear to _(bleep)_ that I will _(bleep)_ you the _(bleep)_ up!  This is a private conversation!

 

UNKNOWN MAN

Kevin just wants to film your private confessional, Dean.

 

DEAN

I know that it’s my _(bleep)_ turn, but I’m _(bleep)_ busy right now.

 

_DEAN reaches for the CAMERA.  His hand blocks out the video._

 

DEAN

I will come film later.   _(Bleep)_ .  Get the _(bleep)_ away from us!

 

_CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Interior Shot.  LUCIFER is in the front foyer of the ranch.  He is standing near the center table containing the lollipops for the next Elimination Ceremony._

 

LUCIFER

I’ll admit it--I came here to win.  And I will. There is no conceivable way that any of these people are a better choice than I am.  I’m successful, I have money, I have ambition, and I’m _(bleep)_ attractive.

 

_LUCIFER winks at the CAMERA and picks up one of the lollipops.  He dangles it in front of the CAMERA._

 

LUCIFER

I know that Gabriel has spent a lot of time with my pathetic roommate, but it doesn’t phase me in the least.  The two of them obviously don’t get along for some reason. I plan to use that to my advantage. Sam is playing with the big boys now and he’s in _way_ over his head.  Besides... _this…_

 

_LUCIFER waves the lollipop tauntingly._

 

LUCIFER

This...stupid candy--it’s the goal.  And I’m going to make sure that I have one in my hands every single elimination.  Gabriel will choose me. There’s no doubt in my mind. Not only am I the best option available--we’d be downright sexy together.  Because I’m sexy. And he’s fine. I guess. I plan on winning either way.

 

_CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Exterior Shot.  RUBY is sitting at the poolside bar, stirring a large cocktail.  She picks out the decorative umbrella and tosses it away._

 

RUBY

I don’t see why anyone here is even trying to pretend to be friends.  We’re all here for one reason, and that’s to grab ourselves a hot doctor.

 

_VOICE off camera.  RUBY rolls her eyes and snorts delicately._

 

RUBY

 _(Bleep)_ No!  I mean, yeah--I could have seen myself teaming up with Bela or Abby, but eventually we would have turned on one another.  So no--I don’t really care that they’re gone. Honestly, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Doctor Steamy doesn’t seem to think too highly of the serious ones, except for that nerdy guy, Sam.  Which is a shame. Sam seems to be pissed off that he’s here and that’s just not the right attitude.

 

_RUBY throws back her head and slams down the rest of her cocktail.  She waves her hands for another one and the bartender begins to mix her a refill.  VOICE off camera._

 

RUBY

I don’t give a _(bleep)_ if he’s listening.  He’s a _bartender_ !  The help.  No one cares if he hears because he’s not going to say anything.

 

_VOICE off camera.  RUBY glares._

 

RUBY

I _might_ consider an ally--for a little while.  So, sure, I guess?

 

_RUBY pauses to think._

 

RUBY

If I had to team up with someone...Luke.  Obviously. I guess his name is actually Lucifer.  That’s actually kind of sexy. I’ve always been a fan of the bad boys, and isn’t Lucifer the _ultimate_ bad boy?  He’s pretty hot too, I wouldn’t mind spending more time with him.  We could help each other out and get some of these other losers out the door.  Eventually I’ll claw his eyes out to get my prize though.

 

_RUBY laughs._

 

RUBY

That’s actually a good idea.  I’ll have to have a chat with Lucifer later and see if he’s up for a little teamwork.  Thanks for that, Camera Kid. You know...you’re kind of cute too…

 

_CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Interior Shot.  DEAN is in the dining room alone.  He is picking through the remains of the breakfast buffet from that morning._

 

DEAN

Score!  Bear claws!

 

_DEAN sits down at the table and glares at the CAMERA._

 

DEAN

Here I am.  I told you I’d find you later.  Don’t _(bleep)_ sneak up on me anymore.  I didn’t sign on for that.  Okay, so what do I have to do now?

 

_VOICE off camera.  DEAN squints._

 

DEAN

This is dumb.  How am I supposed to have _feelings_ about this shit already.  I’m just here, doing my thing and trying to enjoy myself.  

 

_VOICE off camera.  DEAN eats some of his pastry._

 

DEAN

Okay, you want the truth?  Truth is--I wasn’t looking for anything.  Romance and love and all that _(bleep)_ just really isn’t my thing.  But it’s Sammy’s thing. He’s my little brother, in case you haven’t figured that out yet.  

 

_DEAN pauses._

 

DEAN

Sam’s had...a rough time of it.  It’s partly my fault. I ran off and joined the Army the second I turned eighteen and kind of left him behind.  Our Uncle Bobby helped keep an eye on him, but the kid was only fourteen and was basically on his own. I thought that maybe when he was older he’d be less...awkward, I guess.  He was sort of a fat kid.

 

_DEAN looks around the room.  No one is there. He nods to the CAMERA._

 

DEAN

I found out recently that he was bullied in school.  I guess it did a number on him. He’s never really dated.  At least, not that I know of. But he’s a great kid and he deserves to be happy.  I just thought that if I got him into this show that he might come out of his shell and maybe find someone to love him.  I don’t know. It sounds stupid doesn’t it.

 

_VOICE off camera._

 

DEAN

Yeah, Gabe’s a fun guy.  I like him. He’s more Sammy’s type than mine though.

 

_DEAN chuckles to himself as though he’s incredibly funny._

 

DEAN

I like winning--I do.  But I’m really here to help out my brother.  If I happen to fall in love along the way, then so be it.

 

_DEAN winks at the CAMERA.  CAMERA cuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Interior Shot.  SAM is in the stable, petting a pure black horse on the snout._

 

SAM

I don’t want to talk about why I’m here.  Aren’t we all here to win? Sure--that’s why I’m here too.

 

_VOICE off camera._

 

SAM

What exactly did Dean say about me?  Damn. Okay, so maybe I have some issues about relationships.  Who doesn’t, right? I know that people have noticed that Gabriel and I aren’t...getting along.  But it’s fine. I’m not out to impress, honestly. There’s a reason and it’s...it’s not important.

 

_SAM pauses._

 

SAM

 And okay, maybe I have a...history...with Gabriel.  It’s not important. _(Bleep)_ .  I already said that, didn’t I?  Now it looks like it is important and...you know what?  It’s done and...fine--it’s not done. It is so beyond _not_ finished and I--

 

_SAM stops and looks straight at the CAMERA._

 

SAM

Were you ever picked on as a kid?  For any reason? Your hair or your glasses or the way you talked?  Anything like that? Well, I was. I hadn’t grown into my feet, I was a total nerd and I didn’t know how to dress.  And I was..chubby. Not like, horrible, but yeah--I was a little overweight. You know how kids are, right? They’re little _(bleep)_ .  I wasn’t popular and the kids that were...they weren’t kind.

 

_SAM pauses and looks down.  He starts to avoid the CAMERA.  A VOICE off screen. SAM looks back into the CAMERA._

 

SAM

I said that Gabriel and I had a history.  He went to my high school. He was a senior when I was a sophomore, and I was best friends with his younger brother.  And I might have had a...sort of crush on him. It doesn’t matter. Everyone loved him. Everyone. And he...he was the one who started everything.  Before he showed up, I could fly under the radar at school. No one knew me, except the teachers, and that was fine. But _(bleep)_ Gabriel Novak walks in and has to single _me_ out to pick on!  He played a prank.  At the time, it hurt.  Now, it hurts less, but I realize that it was thought out--planned--and that makes me angry.  

 

_VOICE off camera._

 

SAM

It doesn’t matter what he did.  It just matters that it happened.  I didn’t expect that when I came on this show that he would be here.  I thought that I would never see him again.

 

_SAM pauses._

 

SAM

I’m a nice guy.  I am. But right now, I’m not feeling all that charitable.  I might not be here to win in order to find love--but I am here to be the last one standing.  I’m changing things. I know that I’ve been snappy and pissed off and that is all changing right now.  I’m going to make Gabriel _(bleep)_ Novak fall in love with me.  And at the end, when he chooses me--I’m going to say ‘No.’  And we’ll all get to see how he feels then.

 

_SAM gets up and walks away.  CAMERA shuts off._

 

_NEW ANGLE--Exterior shot.  GABRIEL stands in the foreground.  In the distance, some of the contestants can be seen playing some football in one of the fields behind the ranch.  The wind is blowing lightly._

 

GABRIEL

Yeah, so far everyone seems great.  Some more than others, I guess. I _am_ glad that The Grady Twins are gone though--those two could have caused some serious trouble for me.  I’m sure my lovely little firecracker, Rowena would have been happy about some drama and catfighting, but spare me!

 

_VOICE off camera._

 

GABRIEL

No, I don’t think I’m playing favorites.  Why? Are they bitching about that? Who? I’ll kick ‘em off.

 

_GABRIEL grins wickedly at the CAMERA.  VOICE off camera._

 

GABRIEL

How do I know Sam?  Wait. He said he knows me?  I’ve been trying to figure this out--he looks _so_ familiar and I can’t place him!  What did he say? Did he tell you where I know him from?  

 

_VOICE off camera.  GABRIEL looks behind him at the contestants playing football.  CAMERA focuses on SAM as he throws the ball to DEAN. CAMERA pulls back to GABRIEL.  VOICE off screen._

 

GABRIEL

I can’t just _ask_ him how I know him.  That would be too easy.  But thanks for confirming that I know him.  That was bothering me. You’d think I’d remember a _(bleep)_ hot piece like that, wouldn’t you?  I mean--I don’t think I’ve even been that attracted to someone right off the bat before.  There was one guy when I was a kid but...that didn’t end well.

 

_VOICE off screen._

 

GABRIEL

No, I’m not going to talk about it.  My pathetic high school crushes have no place on this show.  I’m not the same person I was then. Besides, doesn’t everyone have a shitty dating experience in high school.  I can’t be the only one who _(bleep)_ up and had the perfect man slip away, right?  That’s a thing that happens. I’m not the only _(bleep)_ out there.  And anyway, I don’t talk about when I was a teenager.  It wasn’t a good time in my life and I’d prefer not to dwell on it--thanks.

 

_VOICE off screen._

 

GABRIEL

Oh, _(bleep)_ off, Rowena!  I gave you a stupid interview.  Can I go and ogle my hotties now?  Half of them are shirtless and this is boring as _(bleep)_ .

 

_GABRIEL turns and jogs away toward the others who are still playing.  He runs straight over to SAM and says something. CAMERA focuses on GABRIEL and SAM.  SAM is blushing._

 

_CAMERA turns off._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe reveals more than he wants to on his date with Sam.  
> Dean gets down and dirty with Castiel.
> 
> NSFW in this chapter. Also warning for accidental voyeurism.

They had decided to meet up a few hours before dinner for their ‘date.’  Sam was fine with that, since he was going to have to psych himself up to even spend time alone with Gabriel.  He’d meant to stay in his room until it was time to head over to the riding stable, but he’d found himself wandering the grounds.  Kevin, the camera operator had cornered him for a one-on-one interview. Sam was still horrified that he’d broken down and admitted that Gabriel was the one that got away-- _and_ been an asshole while he sauntered out of Sam’s life.

 

After his minor word-vomiting on camera, Sam had went back to the house to change and wash his face.  He needed to clear his head. Nothing worked. When it was time to meet up with Gabriel, Sam gave up arguing with himself and left.  He hoped that Rowena didn’t see his interview and kick him off since he was planning on basically ruining the show. She did seem like the type who would probably think that the extra drama was worth it.  Sam wasn’t sure what he wanted to happen. If he left, then he wouldn’t get to see Gabe’s face when Sam broke his heart. But he also wouldn’t have this sick feeling about treating someone the way that he’d been treated as a kid.  No one actually deserved to be hurt and humiliated--especially on national television.

 

As he walked outside, Sam kept picturing those gorgeous amber eyes.  He’d never found another person with eyes like Gabriel Novak. Sam had spent way too many nights thinking about those eyes--even after everything that had happened.  It was embarrassing. Who crushed on someone who’d ruined their self-confidence like that? Psychos--that’s who. Sam kicked at the dirt with his scuffed work boots. He was glad that Dean had insisted on footwear besides dress shoes that pinched while walking.  At least his trusty boots came in handy on a ranch.

 

As Sam neared the stable, he found himself with conflicting emotions.  While he was apprehensive about being with Gabe one-on-one, his stomach was fluttering with excitement.  Sam knew that he had to shut those feelings down. There was no way that he would get the closure that he needed if he started to fall for the little jerk again.  

 

Gritting his teeth, Sam strode into the stable with confidence.  He hadn’t been riding since he was a kid, but he figured that he’d be able to pick it up again quickly.  And if he couldn’t, at least there would be some amusing footage for Rowena. Most of the stalls were empty, due to the fact that the horses would be allowed to roam during the day, but the two at the end contained beautiful specimens.

 

He stopped when he was level with the pure black stallion and gazed at the horse in awe.  “You’re gorgeous,” Sam said softly to the animal.

 

“Thanks, kiddo.  So are you.”

 

Spinning around toward that cocky voice, Sam already had a glare in place by the time he faced Gabriel.  The shorter man was leaning on the opposite stall, arms crossed, grinning at Sam. The smirk pissed Sam off while also making his heartbeat speed up.  Stupid body, making him feel stupid feelings. He tried to school his features, but Gabriel seemed to be enjoying the inner war that Sam was experiencing.  “Don’t pull a muscle,” Gabe laughed as he walked over toward the small office at the back of the stable.

 

He knocked on the door and called out, “Miss Ellen?  I’d give anything to see your sexy body right now!”

 

When the door opened to reveal an attractive women in her forties who was glaring at them, Sam was somewhat surprised.  He thought that _he_ was the only one who looked at Gabriel that way.  “I oughta slap you for being so disrespectful,” she said to Gabe.  “You don’t talk to people that way, and you know it.”

 

“Forgive me,” Gabe smiled, making a bow and brushing his lips over her hand.  Sam thought that she might deck him, but she just shook her head and yanked her hand away.  “Sam, this is Ellen. She’s the boss of the whole ranch.”

 

“And don’t you forget it,” Ellen said with a smile.  She shook Sam’s hand firmly and Sam couldn’t help but smile back at her.  He liked the fact that she didn’t take Gabriel’s ridiculous crap. “Now darling, have you ever ridden before?”

 

“Years ago,” Sam told her.  “When I was a kid. They had horses at a summer camp I went to.”

 

“We’re going to say you’re a beginner then,” Ellen told him.

 

“Okay,” Sam wasn’t about to argue.

 

“Don’t you worry,” she said.  “Gabriel doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing either.  He’s been at the ranch for almost two weeks and he makes squeaky sounds whenever a horse gets too close to him.”

 

“I do _not_!” Gabriel was indignant.

 

“Yeah, you do,” a lazy voice drifted toward them.  Sam watched as a lanky man with a dirty blonde mullet came around the corner and smiled at them.  “Hey,” the guy said. “I’m Ash. I’m Ellen’s bitch.” Ellen rolled her eyes at the comment. “And this one,” Ash poked a finger at Gabriel, “is skittish around the babies.”

 

“You’re afraid of horses?” Sam asked.  He’d suspected it earlier, but he hadn’t realized that it was an _actual,_ legitimate fear.  He’d wanted something that Gabriel would suck at, but he hadn’t intended on seriously terrifying the man.

 

“I’m not _afraid_ of anything,” Gabriel insisted a little too forcefully.

 

Against his better judgement, Sam took a step toward Gabe and said, “we don’t have to do this,” in a whisper.

 

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and Sam actually stumbled away a bit at the sight.  For someone so...small, Gabriel was sort of terrifying. “I’m _not_ afraid of a _horse_ ,” he hissed at Sam.  “Let’s do this, shall we?”

 

Sam watched as Gabriel stomped over to Ash.  When he realized that Gabe wouldn’t back down, he reluctantly followed the other two men outside.  Ellen told them not to do anything ‘fucking stupid’ as they left.

 

Once outside, Ash gave both of them--and Kevin, who had drawn the short straw and was being forced to film them--a quick lesson on how to ride.  They weren’t going to go very far, staying within the property lines of the ranch the entire time. Ash also told them that Ellen needed the horses back within the hour for feeding and Sam noticed that Gabriel looked relieved at the information.  Something akin to guilt flashed within him.

 

Ash guided them each to a horse and stepped back.  Sam came up on the animal’s left and, because he was thorough, he checked the tie strap as Ash had suggested.  He took the horse’s reins loosely in his hand and slid his left foot into the stirrup. He used his muscles to put most of his weight on his left foot as he swung one long leg up and over the horse’s back.  As he lowered himself into the saddle, Sam heard a few claps. “You made that look easy,” Kevin commented as he handed his equipment off to Ash for his own attempt.

 

The camera operator graciously accepted Ash’s offer and suggestion of using a mounting block to get onto his own steed.  Once Kevin was in place and fiddling with all of his wires, Sam turned to Gabriel who was still on solid ground. “Are you coming?” he asked.

 

Gabe scoffed.  “Yes,” he said, even as something wary crossed his face.

 

Ash led a grey horse over toward Gabriel and Sam grit his teeth when Gabe stumbled back a foot as the animal came near.  He was about to suggest once more that they choose a different activity, but the look in Gabe’s eyes made him stay silent.  Ash did his best to steer Gabriel toward the mounting block that Kevin had used, but the surgeon wasn’t having it. With a determined glint, Gabe grabbed the reins and huffed out a breath.

 

Sam knew that he was terrified.  It was written all over Gabriel’s face, and Sam actually felt terrible about it.  He watched as Gabriel struggled with his mount. It would have been funny, if Sam hadn’t felt so guilty. Every time that Gabriel tried to get his foot into the stirrup and missed, his horse moved and Gabe jumped.

 

Wanting the entire situation to end, Sam quietly dismounted the way that Ash had instructed and walked over to Gabe. He hadn’t meant to sneak up on the man, although he decided that surprise was probably for the best.

 

Just as Gabriel was about to kick up for the stirrup once more, Sam reached out, snaking his hands around Gabriel’s trim waist and lifting him easily.  Gabe twisted in his grip and made a rather undignified squawking sound as he was firmly placed on the saddle. When Sam let go, he chanced a glance up at Gabe who was flatout glowering at him.  “You can’t just grab people like that without warning!”

 

“Sorry,” Sam said dryly. “It was getting a bit painful to watch you act like a toddler.”  He might feel a bit bad about forcing Gabe to confront his fears, but he was still upset with the man.  Sam turned on his heel and swiftly remounted his own steed as Gabriel sputtered incoherently at him. He looked behind him at Gabe who was still seething. “Are you good? I feel good?”  Urging his horse on, Sam rode off toward the trail they planned on taking while Gabe grumbled as he followed.

 

  Xx Xx xX

 

Gabriel allowed himself exactly three minutes of pouting before he sucked it up and nudged his horse alongside Sam.  It wasn’t the first time he’d been teased about his height--or lack thereof--and it wouldn’t be the last. At least Sam was almost a foot taller than him.  It always rankled Gabriel when one of his nurses, Meg would poke fun at him for being short. For fuck’s sake, Meg was four inches shorter than he was! Whatever.  

 

It was also incredibly embarrassing that Sam could pick him up so easily.  The kid looked like he hadn’t even made an effort--as though Gabe was as light as a feather.  He might be smaller, but Gabe knew that he was compact. He had a decent amount of muscle and was anything but _light._ Yet Sam had just...lifted him.  It was humiliating and also insanely sexy and Gabe was conflicted on how to respond to the whole situation.   

 

Gabriel wrinkled his nose as he pulled his horse next to Sam’s and tried to think of something to say to prove that he was neither upset at Sam for hoisting him in the air, _or_ afraid of his horse...even though he was.  “What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this,” Gabe asked, for lack of something else to say.  It wasn’t his best attempt at conversation, but it was too late to take it back now.

 

Sam shot him a look, but suddenly his face softened and his entire demeanor shifted.  He didn’t look so angry for once and Gabe found himself staring at the incredible sight of Sam looking...happy?  It was really something to behold. The kid looked amazing! Those dimples! Inner Gabriel swooned--his expression remained as normal as he could manage, however.  He didn’t want to spook Sam into getting pissy again.

 

“Looking for love, the same as you,” Sam replied.

 

“I have a hard time believing that you can’t have anyone you want, begging to be in your bed,” Gabriel winked at Sam.  “You don’t need to be on a cattle call like this to find someone.” He was amused when Sam’s cheeks tinged a light pink and he turned away from the surgeon for a moment.  Gabe furrowed his brow and kept watching Sam as their horses slowly trotted along.

 

When Sam turned back to him, there was a strange glint in his eyes.  “What about you?” Sam countered. “You’re obviously an intelligent, successful guy,” Sam said. “What made you sign up to date strangers on television?”

 

“Don’t forget how sexy I am too, Samshine.”

  
  
Sam snorted.  “You’re okay, I guess—I mean, you’re not Quasimodo or anything.”

  
  
“Wow, kiddo—I’m blushing,” Gabe rolled his eyes and moved his horse a little closer to Sam’s.

 

“I’m not about to inflate your ego any more than it already is,” Sam muttered.  “You know that you’re hot.”

 

Gabe’s mouth fell open.  He leaned over a little and cupped his hand to his ear.  “What was that? I’m sorry--I didn’t _quite_ hear you say how you think I’m hot.  Could I get a replay?”

 

“Shut up,” Sam laughed and shook his head.

 

“Fuck, _you’re_ hot.”  It slipped from Gabe’s lips before he could think.  He was ashamed to admit that he had to duck his head slightly to hide the heat on his cheeks as soon as he said the words.

 

“So I’ve been told,” Sam said, his tone sliding back into grumpiness.  “It wasn’t always like that.”

 

“Let me guess,” Gabriel said, trying to find his normally snarky self once more.  “In high school you had glasses and a ponytail and paint on your clothes, so none of the football players would take you to Prom.  But then Freddie Prinze Junior showed them that you were secretly ‘All That.’”

 

Sam looked confused at his reference but eventually just shrugged and said, “Not exactly, but close.  I didn’t have a ponytail or glasses. Or paint?” Sam looked oddly at him. “And he wasn’t a football player.  But let’s just say I don’t eat salads because I like the taste, and I never went to prom--especially not with my crush.”

 

“Former Fat Kid, huh?” Gabe said.  His usually joking tone was more subdued and he was watching Sam carefully as they rode.

 

“Yeah, I guess.”  Sam wouldn’t look at him.

 

“Me too.”

 

Sam swiveled in his saddle and fixed Gabriel with a look.  “What? No you weren’t.”

 

“Uh, yes!  I was.” Gabe said, his eyes narrowing.  “Besides, how would you know either way?”  Sam turned away from him and trotted his horse forward a few paces, leaving Gabe behind.  “I know that I know you,” Gabe shouted as he tried to urge his steed forward to catch up. He pulled level with Sam.  “I’m just not sure from where. But I’m not crazy, am I? I _do_ know you.”

 

Sam was silent for a minute.  “Maybe you do.”

 

They watched one another carefully for a moment before Gabe broke the silence.  “I’m not going to ask. Like you said, I’m a smart guy--I’ll figure it out on my own.  But I wasn’t lying,” his voice dropped.

 

He wasn’t sure he wanted to say anything--he never talked about it.  For some reason, Gabriel had a feeling that Sam might actually understand.  But still, he hesitated. Gabriel didn’t know how long he was staring into the distance, but when he came back to reality, their horses had stopped walking, snuffling the ground, and Sam was staring at him.  “I had...a bad year...when I turned thirteen.”

 

Sam’s brow furrowed and Gabriel internally swore.  He’d revealed too much with his stupid tone. Damnit!  “What happened?” Sam asked.

 

Gabe shook his head and refused to meet Sam’s eyes.  “Nothing important. It just wasn’t a great time.” He unconsciously shivered at the lie.  This was not how he wanted this date to go. “Let’s just say that I ate my feelings for a while before my dad sent me to fucking fat camp the summer before we moved to a new town.” Gabriel shifted in the saddle.  “It was torture, but it worked. I showed up at my new school the sexy beast you see before you today...maybe minus a grey hair or two.”

 

He wasn’t lying.  Gabriel hadn’t changed very much physically since high school.  His face had thinned out a bit and he’d definitely put on some muscle--but he was still the same height.  That, combined with his youthful looking skin, he still got carded occasionally which was both annoying and hilarious to him.  

 

He wondered what Sam had looked like in high school.  Was he as tall as he was now? Or had he hit a growth spurt and spent some time where he was all awkward arms and legs?  Gabe wished that he’d been able to see that. Despite what Sam had said about himself, Gabe knew the kid would have been a looker.  Bone structure was something you couldn’t change--and there was no way that people hadn’t noticed how amazing and perfect Sam’s eyes were.

 

Gabe realized that he’d been unusually silent after his admission and he glanced up warily.   Sam was looking at him. Really looking. It made Gabe slightly uncomfortable and he tried to smile, but ended up just staring down at his horse’s neck.  “Now I sort of keep up with it. I hate working out, so I slack off there a bit. But I have a physical job, which helps. Although, I _do_ like my candy,” Gabe did smile that time.  “It’s my achilles’ heel.”

 

“Yeah, I’m aware of that,” Sam spoke for the first time in a while.  His mouth was quirked up and he looked knowingly at Gabriel. “You’ve always had a sweet tooth.”

 

“I figure that I have a few more years before my metabolism gets shot to shit in my forties.  So,” Gabe shrugged. “I’m going to eat my chocolate now and not care.” He wanted to break the seriousness of the entire conversation.  He wanted to go back in time and not have the damn talk at all. “Will you still love me when I get fat again and settle into middle age?”

 

He expected Sam to roll his eyes and become the slightly angry man he’d become acquainted with over the last few days.  To his surprise, Sam tipped his head back and laughed. A happy laugh. When he turned to look at Gabriel, his eyes sparking, Gabe thought he was going crazy.  Because Sam looked right at him and said, “Of course I will, Gabriel.” It might have been the most amazing thing Gabe had ever heard. Shit. He was getting in too deep.  Even if Sam was just teasing him, Gabe swore that he would remember that moment forever.

 

Xx Xx xX

 

Dean wasn’t sure where this part of him had come from.  This was so unlike him that he couldn’t see straight. He’d been pretty open in the military once DADT was lifted.  And he’d had plenty of experience with men in the past; ranging from a rushed blowjob in the bathroom at his high school prom from another closeted dude to actually dating another guy in his unit for over a year.  But Dean had always been the one in control. He wasn’t submissive in any way--he was the one who called the shots.

 

But there could only really be one controlling bastard in a relationship--and this time, it wasn’t Dean.  The moment that the door to his bedroom had shut behind them, Cas had him pinned to the wall. He hadn’t even had to use his hands much.  He just stepped into Dean’s space and hit him with that raised eyebrow and Dean actually visibly gulped and whispered, “Wow.”

 

He vaguely remembered the searing kisses followed by Cas informing him that he was going to be a ‘good boy’ and do exactly as he was told.  Dean just nodded, happy to do anything for Castiel and that deep voice showering him with praise. He hadn’t even put up a fight when Cas manhandled him to the bed and climbed on top of him as their kisses heated.

 

Dean thought that he might have passed out when Cas’ lips ghosted over his jaw and that grave tone said, “You’re going to behave for me, aren’t you, Dean?”  He nodded and made the most pathetic whine before he could control himself. “Good boy,” Cas had told him. “Now stay still.”

 

He’d stayed on the bed, spread out, while Cas removed his clothes with surprising speed.  He hadn’t moved an inch as Cas lavished him with kisses, his fingers slick and sliding in and out of Dean’s tight hole, readying him.  When Dean couldn’t hold back any longer and began to fuck himself onto Cas’ hands, he almost broke when the fingers slid out of him. That was, until Cas grabbed him roughly and flipped him over in a smooth, practiced motion.

 

Now, here he was, on his hands and knees on his roommate’s bed, naked.  Cas’ cock had slid deep inside of him with little resistance. Dean’s fingers were clenched into the blankets as he tried to hold himself steady.  It was almost impossible.

 

Cas was pounding him firmly, each thrust grazing his prostate and making Dean want to collapse.  When Castiel pulled out of him, Dean actually growled over his shoulder. He received a sharp, quick slap on his ass for his frustration.  “I will not continue to pleasure you if you’re going to behave that way.”

 

“Sorry, Cas,” Dean apologized breathlessly.  He actually _was_ sorry.  He didn’t want this to end--ever.

 

He shifted as Cas grabbed his hips and began to guide him backward.  Castiel’s hands never left him, even as Dean’s feet hit the wood floor and he stood up next to the bed.  “You seemed to be somewhat overwhelmed,” Cas said to him, kissing the back of Dean’s neck lightly. “I want to take care of you.”

 

“What?” Dean wasn’t sure what Cas meant, but he was all for being taken care of.

 

“Bend over,” Cas demanded.  “You’re going to lay fully on the bed and I’m going to fuck you into it until you scream.”

 

“Yes sir,” Dean scrambled to comply.  He practically threw himself onto the mattress, his feet braced onto the floor.  He knew that Cas was smiling at him and he wiggled his hips to show that he was ready and needy.

 

Cas’ hand trailed lightly down Dean’s back before grabbing his hip firmly as the other man moved behind him.  Dean _wanted_ so much.  He _needed_ Cas.  When he felt the tip of Cas’ dick slide over his hole, he mewled and pushed back toward it, taking the head inside fully.  “You’re so impatient,” Cas murmured as he pressed deeper.

 

Once he was fully seated, he didn’t waste time and began to rock into Dean’s body.  It was entirely blissful. Dean was shouting and begging--louder than he normal. He was usually doing the fucking in his past, but that was going to be changing.  He wanted to have Castiel inside of him always. It was as though he was built just for Cas. After a particularly harsh thrust, Dean cried out Cas’ name sharply.

 

Above him, Castiel grunted and shifted.  He placed his palms onto Dean’s back, pressing down with his weight as he fucked into Dean.  “More! Fucking more...please!” Dean turned his head and buried it into the bed. Cas’ hands slid from his back, down his biceps, pinning him.  “Come on, Cas--fuck me like you mean it!” Dean absolutely didn’t regret his taunting when Cas growled at _him_ and began to rock into him brutally.

 

The room was filled with the sounds of slapping skin, the grunts and groans of passion and the sweet, sweaty smell of sex.  They were both so lost in the moment and their sharply building sensations that neither of them heard the door of the room click as it unlocked.   “She actually called to ask me to come home a few days ago because she wanted some jambalaya and apparently my sous-chef doesn’t make it like I do--”

 

Benny’s voice cut off immediately.  Dean pushed back onto Cas, trying to make the other man get off of him.  Someone was here! Benny was here! They were going to be in deep shit! Dean would get kicked off and Cas could get fired!  Dean shifted again, but Cas’ grip on his arms stayed tight and he didn’t take his dick out of Dean’s ass.

 

“Hold on one second,” Benny said, leaning out into the hall and blocking the door with his broad shoulders.  “I forgot that I left this room an absolute mess earlier. Give me a moment to clean up.” The door to the room slammed shut.  “What in the world is going on here?”

 

Any hopes that Benny had left, dashed in Dean’s mind.  Cas was still buried full hilt into him, but at least he wasn’t moving.  Benny’s legs moved into Dean’s view and he craned his neck a little to look up into his roommate’s face.  “Hey, buddy!” Dean’s voice was bright and unnatural.

 

“Either join us, or leave,” Castiel said dryly from above him.  Dean’s mouth dropped open at his lover’s words.

 

Benny’s distinct laughter rumbled in his chest as he crossed his arms and took in the sight before him.  “Really, brother?” he said. “My bed? You couldn’t walk another three feet to your own bed?”

 

“Sorry?” Dean was confused.  This was hands-down the most embarrassing moment of his life and everyone else seemed to be enjoying it.

 

“I have a camera following me,” Benny said.  “They want to do a confessional and then a few shots of me in the kitchen here.  I guess I’m making dinner tonight with Gabriel. Our first date,” Benny sounded blasé.  “Don’t worry,” he continued. “I’ll take them away with me. You’re lucky that I walked into the room first,” Benny warned.

 

“Dude,” Dean grunted.  He was torn. He really wished that Cas would fucking pull out so that he wasn’t so exposed in front of the other contestant.  But he also wanted that perfect cock stuffed inside of him for all time.

 

“I’m not going to out you, brother,” Benny said seriously.

 

“Thank you for your discretion,” Castiel intoned above Dean’s head.

 

If he craned his neck, Dean could see Benny nodding.  His roommate’s eyes slid down to meet Dean’s. “We will be talking about this later,” Benny said firmly as he spun on his heel and left.

 

Dean could hear the door opening a crack and Benny speaking in an obnoxiously loud tone.  “Well I don’t seem to have enough sense to carry guts to a bear. I forgot that I have the recipe on my phone, so we can just head on out to the kitchen.”  Benny’s voice faded away.

 

As soon as the door was closed once more, Cas began to roughly pound into his ass.  Dean knew that he should tell Cas to stop--that the moment was gone. But for some reason, it really wasn’t.  Despite the humiliating interruption, Dean was still so hard and raring to go. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the feeling of Castiel.

 

“Oh yeah, Cas,” Dean moaned as his prostate was bumped.  Cas thrust into him, drawing a loud cry. “Fuck me, babe!”  

 

And that was exactly what Castiel did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd first sexy times go to Destiel! (Were we really surprised at that though? I mean, Sam and Gabe are just moving soooo SLOW!)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe has a date and a proposition.  
> Benny joins Team Sabriel.  
> Sam has a strange reaction in his feels and his pants.
> 
> WARNING: There is a kiss between Gabriel and someone who is NOT Sam in this chapter. It isn't super graphic and Gabe isn't into it. Just be prepared for that. There is also a bit of NSFW at the end of the chapter.

Due to the nature of the show, Gabriel was forced to go on a few one-on-one dates with various contestants who weren’t Sam.  It was annoying, but he’d signed the contract and was holding up his end of the bargain. For the most part, they were bearable.  Some people were much more Gabe’s speed than others, but he was determined to do his due diligence and see what each person remaining had to offer.  That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t daydream a little about the delicious Samsquatch he’d started to obsess over. Gabe hadn’t been this taken since...well, it had been a long time.

 

He tried to be as personable as possible, while also categorizing each person as to who he thought should stay, and who definitely needed to leave.  Some were easy, others more difficult. Gabriel did his best to stay open and honest about what he was looking for; all he could do was hope that everyone else was doing the same.

 

At the moment, he was sitting across the table at a local restaurant with Lucifer.  The tall blonde had asked Gabriel to call him ‘Luke,’ but Gabe was having none of that.  He was nothing, if not a pro at pushing people’s buttons for his own amusement. “So, Luci?” Gabe leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table and smiling coldly when Lucifer glared at his faux pas.  “You mentioned the other day about interior design? What’s that like?”

 

Lucifer narrowed his eyes for a split second before his body relaxed into his chair.  “It’s challenging. Just as I assume surgery is for you.”

 

“A bit different though,” Gabriel pointed out.  “I’m actually fixing things, not just making them pretty.”

 

“Forgive me,” Lucifer shot back.  “I was under the impression that you were a _plastic surgeon_.  Isn’t the definition of that simply making society ‘pretty.’  I’m doing the same for their homes. It isn’t as though you’re saving lives, is it?  You just give women bigger tits.”

 

Gabriel had heard all of the jokes and quips about how shallow and ‘less important’ plastic surgeons were compared to others.  One of his old attendings back in residency had been particularly rude when Gabe had announced his specialty. But that was in the past, and Gabriel hated to dwell, so most comments didn’t bother him now--including Lucifer’s insinuation.  He was just surprised that someone had the audacity to be rough with the dialogue back at him. Most people just looked awkward and apologized or nodded along with whatever Gabriel said. Lucifer was challenging--just as Sam was--and it was sort of nice.

 

Deciding to see what else he could pull from Lucifer, Gabriel raised his eyebrow.  “I do a hell of a lot more than fucking boob jobs.”

 

“Not from what I’ve discovered,” Lucifer smiled.  “The hospital website really plays up the fact that you take regular leave from the facility to do pro-bono work.  I find that interesting.”

 

“Yes, google is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?” Gabriel said dryly.  The waiter walked up to the table and took their order, causing them to pause their conversation for a few minutes.  “So, you’ve researched me,” Gabriel said, once they were alone. “I can return the favor and admit that I might have searched you as well.  You do your fair share of charity work, designing non-profit offices and the occasional home for the underprivileged in Miami.”

 

“What can I say, it’s a good tax break,” Lucifer grinned.  Gabriel wasn’t sure if the statement was meant to be joking, or if it was the truth--he still laughed along with his date.  “So why did you choose to throw yourself into women’s health issues, specifically breast cancer?”

 

“What is this?  An interview on the Late Show?” Gabe scoffed.

 

“Dating is basically a job interview if you go about it rationally,” Lucifer said.

 

“That’s rather cold and impersonal, don’t you think?” Gabriel tried to keep his face neutral.

 

Lucifer shrugged and reached for his glass of scotch.  “I’m too old to be wasting my time--or yours, for that matter.  If we aren’t compatible, then we should be able to be upfront about it.  We’re both grown men.”

 

Mulling over the idea about for a split second, Gabriel decided that he wasn’t totally averse to Lucifer’s way of thinking.  Perhaps if he went about this whole stupid show with the idea that he could brutally remove anyone he didn’t truly enjoy, this could be done quickly and easily.  After a moment, he nodded at Lucifer who gave him a somewhat lewd glance. “Okay,” Gabriel said. “We can do it this way. The women’s health work that I do? It’s personal to me.  I don’t talk about it, and I’m sure you can figure out why. Is that a good enough answer for you?”

“For now,” Lucifer sipped his drink.  “I’m just trying to get a sense of what kind of man you are.”

 

“Well I’m not a total goody-two-shoes,” Gabriel grinned.  “I have my moments of depravity.”

 

“Depravity I can work with,” Lucifer smirked.  Gabriel smiled back, this was turning out to be an interesting night.

 

 Xx xXx xX

 

Despite the fact that they shared a room, Dean hadn’t had much of a chance to speak with Benny in the last few days.  If he was being totally honest with himself, Dean was actively avoiding his roommate. Any time that he thought of Benny in the same room while Cas’ prick was shoved up Dean’s ass, Dean would blush and have to excuse himself for a little privacy.  Apparently he had a bit of a voyeur kink that he hadn’t been aware of. Great.

 

After two days though, Dean decided that he really should confront Benny and make sure that they were all on the same page.  He figured that it would be best to have Cas along for the ride as well. That morning, when he stepped out into the hallway, Cas was waiting.  Apparently both of them had decided that they needed to find the Southerner and hash this all out. Dean had proclaimed that he had faith in Benny--if the man hadn’t spilled the beans yet, then he probably wouldn’t at all.  Cas was a little more hesitant and wanted to speak with Benny to make sure of their status with him.

 

The two of them eventually found Benny alone in the large kitchen, chopping up various vegetables with an overly large knife.  Dean squinted at the man as they approached. “Hey buddy,” he said.

 

Benny glanced up from where he was removing kernels of grilled corn straight from the cob.  “Something on your mind?” he glanced between Castiel and Dean.

 

“We need to know if you plan to inform Rowena or Crowley about our,” Cas paused, “indiscretion.”

 

They watched intently as Benny continued to work in silence for a moment.  “I could be persuaded to keep my mouth shut,” he said finally.

 

“What?  Come the fuck on!” Dean shouted.  Cas placed a hand over Dean’s on the counter and he immediately went quiet at his lover’s touch.

 

“I’m fucking with you, brother,” Benny chuckled at Dean’s expression.  “Whoa boy, you are an easy one to rile up! I’ll have to remember that.”  He was laughing and Dean was beginning to relax as he realized that their secret would be kept.

 

“Well that was easy,” Dean muttered.  He turned to Cas. “I told you that Benny was cool.”

 

Castiel was eyeing the chef, his gaze fixed mostly on the glinting sliver knife as it began to slice into a few ripe avocados.  “You are certain that this will remain between the three of us?”

 

Deftly removing the pit of the avocado with his knife, Benny smiled at Cas.  “I don’t much care what anyone gets up to. It ain’t my business, is it? I figure that everyone deserves a chance at happiness.”  Cas was still watching him. “Look, brother,” Benny continued. “I still haven’t even decided if I want to be here myself. I’m not about to start throwing folks under the bus for a man I’m not entirely sure of, got it?”

 

“You’re not in love with my brother?” Cas tilted his head and looked confused.

 

Benny barked out a laugh and began to slice again.  “Are any of us really?” He looked pointedly at Castiel.  “It’s only been a few days. Who can truly fall in love in that amount of time?  Besides the two of you, of course,” Benny gestured at them with his knife and laughed.

 

“Benny?  Why are you even here, man?” Dean finally asked.  “You’re like me, not here for themselves--I can see it.”

 

The large man shrugged casually, but it looked awkward.  “My good friend Andrea suggested I sign up for this. She was with me when my sister passed away and she’s been a real help while I’m raising my niece, Elizabeth.  I’m not good with some of the more ‘lady’ things about teenage girls,” Benny sounded embarrassed. Not in the way that he was speaking of such things, but that he felt as though he wasn’t doing the best he could for his niece.  He proved it when he continued. “Andrea talks to her about boys and bras and things--stuff she doesn’t want to talk to her uncle about. I get it,” Benny sighed. “I just wish I could do more--do better.”

 

“I’m sure that you’re an excellent guardian,” Castiel said quietly.

 

“Yeah Benny,” Dean said.  “You kick ass! I’m sure she loves you and appreciates everything you’re doing.”

 

“Thank you,” Benny said simply.  “Anyway, I’ve been out of the game for over three years now.  Andrea thought that I needed to get back in the saddle.” He shook his head.  “Honestly, I’d rather be at home with her and Elizabeth while they watch that Dr. Sexy show than here pretending that I want to date a man I hardly know.  I’m doing this for her.”

 

Cas’ head turned again and he narrowed his eyes.  “You’re in love with her.”

 

Dean and Benny both froze and stared at Castiel.  “Cas, you can’t just--”

 

“He’s right, brother,” Benny stopped Dean.  “I think that I realized it as soon as I arrived here.  I miss Andrea more than I ever thought I would. She’s at home taking care of Elizabeth for me while I’m gone and all I want is to be back home with them both.  I do love Andrea,” Benny’s smile was heartbreaking. “But she doesn’t need to know that.”

 

“Benny,” Dean walked around the kitchen island and clapped his roommate on the back in a manly sort of side-hug.  “When we get out of here, I am personally going to come down to New Orleans to visit you. And if you haven’t proposed to Andrea by then, Cas and I are going to do it for you.  Got it?”

 

The low chuckle that Benny gave spoke volumes.  “Sounds good to me,” he finally said.

 

“As you said,” Castiel was grave.  “Everyone deserves happiness.”

 

The three of them spoke with friendly banter for a while.  Cas and Dean pulled up bar stools to the island and watched Benny work.  When they asked what he was doing, he told them that he was getting the ‘prep work’ out of the way for his private date with Gabriel the next day.  He was planning on teaching Gabe how to make Cajun Tacos, which were Benny’s own creation. “The secret is in the rub I used on the pork before I cook it up,” Benny mentioned.

 

“So,” Benny finally said after the conversation had died down a bit.  “If you’re willing to help me get off my butt and tell Andrea how I feel--what can I do for you?”

 

“You’re already doing enough by not reporting us to my superiors,” Castiel said.

 

Dean piped in, looking up at Benny.  “Here’s the thing,” he said. “And you can’t tell anyone, got it?”  Benny nodded slowly. “We want Gabriel and Sam to get together.”

 

“You want Sam to win?” Benny asked, looking for confirmation.

 

“Yeah,” Dean said.  “Well, no. We don’t necessarily want it to be the Win--we just want him to end up with Gabriel.  It has nothing to do with anything other than...you know...feelings.”

 

“Enlighten me,” Benny encouraged, continuing his food prep.

 

Dean looked to Cas because he knew that Castiel was more familiar with the story in its entirety.  Somewhere around the time that Cas recounted a few of the high school dramatics, Benny stopped what he was doing, leaning on the counter, listening intently.  Cas did most of the talking, with occasional interjections from Dean about Sam. By the time they finished their tale, Benny was fully invested. He whistled lowly.  “That’s one hell of a story,” he said.

 

“Sam knows,” Dean told his roommate.  “Gabe has no clue.”

 

“Gabriel said that he feels as though he knows Sam,” Cas told them.  “But he hasn’t figured out that he is correct, or where he knows Sam from.”

 

“And you want my help?” Benny asked them.  

 

Both men nodded.  “If you could just drop a few hints or something,” Dean asked.  “Maybe push Gabe in the right direction. If you want, that is.”

 

Benny smiled and let out a soft snort.  “Brother,” he told Dean. “I’ll be fixin’ to do more than drop a few hints.”  Benny grinned at them both. “I’m out of this game already. I reckon that I may as well go out helping those two idiots find their happiness as well.  I’ll do my best to stick around and help you boys out with this harebrained scheme of yours.”

 

“I owe you,” Dean said.

 

“You don’t owe me nothin,’” Benny responded quickly.  “I say let’s do this.” Dean crossed the room and held out his hand to the Southern chef.  Benny grasped firmly. For the first time since he’d left the Army, Dean finally felt as though he’d found a true friend.

 

Xx xXx xX

 

The dinner conversation with Lucifer had only improved from the start.  It had been flirty, bordering on slightly obscene. Luci gave as good as he got, which was a big plus in Gabe’s book.  When he told Gabriel that he would punish him if Gabe kept calling him Luci, of course that was a challenge that he couldn’t resist.  Gabriel made sure to slip the nickname in as much as possible, reveling in the darkly aroused looks he was getting across the table from Lucifer.  And the guy was attractive. Gabe wasn’t about to deny that. There just wasn’t the spark that he got from Sam. When Sam looked at him, Gabriel felt as though the world was dropping out from beneath him.  It was terrifying and heady, and he craved it.

 

Once dinner was over, things got slightly strained, and Gabe suggested that they head back to the ranch.  Lucifer seemed perturbed that Gabriel insisted on driving, but he acquiesced eventually. They’d argued over the check too.  Not playfully either, like Gabriel assumed Sam would. Lucifer was legitimately pissed off about not paying.

 

Thankfully the camera crew had taken a separate vehicle back to the ranch.  It had been beyond awkward trying to be inconspicuous on a date while two people sat at the next table recording everything.  Their car was fitted up with a dash cam for driving, and Gabriel hated it, but he understood why it was necessary. At least he would have a built in excuse in case Luci tried to get frisky.  Not that Gabriel wasn’t slightly on board. He definitely wanted some sex--just not with the man sitting next to him.

 

Gabriel tried to stay focused on the conversation between himself and Lucifer, as well as driving, but he kept drifting away and thinking of bright hazel eyes and shaggy brown hair.  Shit. He was an asshole. He’d spent most of the date wishing that he was with Sam. He hadn’t even really given Lucifer a fair chance. Sure, they’d flirted--but they hadn’t really _talked_ about anything.  Maybe Lucifer was being genuinely nice when he offered to pay.  Gabriel just assumed that the man’s cocky demeanor meant that he just wanted to flash his platinum card.  Not that it would do much to impress, since Gabriel had one of his own. But perhaps he was wrong and Lucifer _wasn’t_ a completely pompous ass.  He vowed to try and give Lucifer a shot as they pulled into the drive and he parked near the open six car garage.

 

“That was a very educational evening, Gabriel,” Lucifer commented as they got out of the car.  

 

“Yeah?  How so?” Gabriel moved around the car, leaning against it as he looked up into icy blue eyes.

 

“Well for starters,” Lucifer leaned toward him until his lips brushed Gabriel’s ear.  “I now know how you like your meat.”

 

Gabriel barked out a laugh at the innuendo.  He was almost unprepared for Lucifer to close the gap between them while he was distracted.  Almost. He had a split second of panic before he decided, ‘what the hell,’ and kissed back slightly.  It wasn’t great, or memorable. When Lucifer pulled away, Gabe had to admit that he felt just a little dirty.

 

Just as Lucifer was leaning in once again, Castiel came around the corner of the garage and met Gabe’s frantic eyes.  “Hello,” Cas said, startling Luci away from Gabriel. “I’m sorry to intrude,” Cas said dispassionately. “But I do need to film another personal confessional with you, Lucifer.  We have a deadline to have it sent to editing. Would you mind taking some time now?”

 

Lucifer’s eyes flashed.  “Fine,” he said after a beat.  He leaned in once more, and Gabriel managed to turn his head slightly and get kissed on the corner of his mouth.  “Goodnight, Gabriel.” His voice was low and burning with seduction--it didn’t do anything for Gabe though.

 

Once Lucifer had followed Castiel back to the ranch, Gabriel slumped against the car and scraped his hands over his face.  This was so much harder than he’d anticipated. He’d thought that he would show up and go on some dates--maybe get laid--and find someone that he could remotely stand to deal with.  But _no_ \--Sam had to exist in the universe and Gabriel was in way too deep for his liking.  The kid acted like he didn’t even _like_ Gabe, which was a damper on their relationship--but Gabriel was having a difficult time caring about that.  Ignoring the other contestants and chasing after Sam didn’t make for good television and he _did_ know that.  But oh, it was _so_ tempting.

 

There was a rustle behind him and Gabe turned to see Balthazar tripping up the driveway toward the ranch.  His gait was unsteady and the man’s usually pristine clothing was rumpled and dusty. What the hell? Gabriel moved toward the British man and slid into step beside him.  “How’s it going Balthy?”

 

He was greeted with a sloppy grin and unfocused eyes.  “Gabriel!” Balthazar leaned to him and threw his arms around Gabe’s neck, pulling him close.  “How lovely to see you. Out for a walk?”

 

“I just got back from dinner,” Gabriel told him, his face mashed into Balthazar’s chest.

 

“Would you care for dessert?” Balthazar’s voice was pitched lower than usual.

 

Gabriel pushed against the other man and looked up into Balthazar’s face.  The man was clearly drunk and still being an outrageous flirt. Gabe could understand that perfectly--he was the exact same way himself.  “If you’re talking about cake, I’m down,” he said.

 

“No,” Balthazar dragged the word out.  “I mean this.” And then his hand was pushed into Gabriel’s crotch.

 

“Woah,” Gabe stepped back and pointedly grabbed the other man’s wrist, removing Balthazar’s probing fingers.  “How about we get you back to your room for the night?”

 

“Of course,” Balthazar purred at him, his hands roaming around Gabriel’s body.

 

He didn’t have the energy to control the searching fingers.  As long as Balthazar didn’t grab for his junk again, Gabriel could deal with a handsy drunk Englishman.  “Okay, Balthy,” he moved his arm to give the other man a little support. “Come on.”

 

“This will be so much easier in bed,” Balthazar said as Gabe led him back to the house.  “But I’d be happy to blow you right here.”

 

“I will keep that in mind,” Gabe said dryly.  “Thank you for your kind offer.”

 

By the time they reached the front door, Gabriel was practically dragging Balthazar along with him.  The man didn’t let up with the propositions either. It was a little odd. A few years ago, Gabe would have taken the man up on his offer of oral right there in the driveway.  But right now, all he wanted was to get the drunk man back to his own room so that Gabriel could search for some chocolate in the kitchen and go to bed himself--alone.

 

He shot down a few more offers for sexual favors from Balthazar before he managed to practically wrestle the man into his bed.  He also dodged two more grabs for his dick. Once he was satisfied that Balthazar was down for the night, he slipped back toward the kitchen.  Between Lucifer’s kissing and Balthazar’s grabby hands, Gabriel needed some fucking chocolate and he needed it now!

 

 Xx xXx xX

 

Sam watched as Gabriel half supported Balthazar back toward the ranch.  He stayed where he was, unwilling to make his presence known to the other two men.  He had heard Balthazar’s offer of a blow job and he’d clenched his fists so hard that his nails had drawn blood in his palms.  Something in his gut roiled and Sam winced. He didn’t like that feeling--not at all.

 

He’d been back in the barn, talking with Ellen about possibly getting some more riding in while he was here.  She was interesting to speak with. Just the right amount of motherly and a hearty splash of ‘take no shit.’ Sam liked her very much.  And she seemed perfectly happy to give him some help with the horses.

 

When the rumble of a car engine cut through the air, Sam had looked up to the large clock in Ellen’s office and winced at the late hour.  It had been a long few days and he really just wanted to go to sleep. Preferably before Lucifer was back in their room. The other man seemed to enjoy making comments about Sam’s appearance, his conversation topics--anything really--to try and make Sam angry.  He also liked to boast about how he would be the winner and end up with Gabriel. Sam did his best to ignore the comments, but he also tried to avoid Lucifer as much as possible.

 

He had said goodnight to Ellen and walked out of the stable just in time to see Lucifer and Gabriel kissing next to the garage.  The world rushed in around him and Sam saw flashes in his vision. His breath caught and he swallowed deeply at the same time. When Lucifer leaned down for another kiss, Sam actually took a few steps toward them.  He didn’t know what he was planning, he just knew that he didn’t want to see his smarmy, pretentious, _douchebag_ of a roommate kissing Gabriel again.

 

Sam stopped in his tracks when he saw Castiel approach the pair and interrupt them.  His whole consciousness was focused on Lucifer, so he missed the look of relief on Gabriel’s face as Cas moved between them.  Once Lucifer and Cas had left, Sam turned his attention back to Gabriel. He barely had time to think before he saw Gabe notice Balthazar wandering up the driveway, drunk beyond all reason.

 

The clinging and groping and offers of blow jobs had Sam turning away.  He figured that he would just go back inside the stable and wait until the coast was clear.  For some reason, he couldn’t seem to move from the spot. He looked up once more and saw the two men disappearing into the house.  Most likely to go make good on Balthazar’s drunken offer. Sam wasn’t surprised--Balthazar made numerous comments about what he was willing to do to, or for, Gabriel when he was stone cold sober.  The fact that he offered anything sexual at all while drunk was expected in Sam’s eyes. He just didn’t need to know about it.

 

Making up his mind to just head inside and go to bed as he had originally planned, Sam trudged toward the ranch.  He did his very best to ignore the hollow pit in his stomach when he pictured Balthazar and Gabriel together. It had _nothing_ to do with the fact that it involved Gabriel.  Nothing. Sam was just overtired and slightly horny himself.  He figured that a quick jerk-off session in the shower before bed would fix everything.  He just had to stop thinking about Gabriel getting head from fucking Balthazar.

 

Before he could stop his train of thought, Sam’s mind filled with a picture of what he assumed Gabriel would look like as he came.  Sam actually made a sound at the thought and had to quickly think of other things since he was now sporting half a chub. Which was ridiculous because Sam didn’t _want_ to know what Gabriel’s O-Face looked like--not anymore.

 

“Son of a bitch,” Sam murmured to himself, pushing his hand into his crotch as he waddled down the hall to his bedroom.  “This is fucking stupid!”

 

“You okay there, Samshine?”

 

Sam froze at the sound of Gabriel’s voice and his eyes bugged out as he looked up to see Gabe walking down the hallway toward him.  Those sparkling amber eyes were watching him with amusement and Sam could feel his face flush. He immediately pulled his hand away from his dick, hoping that his slight erection wasn’t too obvious.  “What are you doing here?” Sam couldn’t think of anything else to say.

 

“I was helping Balthy back to his room,” Gabriel shrugged, his eyes raking down Sam’s body and focusing on the bulge in Sam’s pants.  The attention only made Sam’s predicament worse. “The man was about four drinks passed too many,” Gabriel added, finally looking up at Sam’s face.

 

“But, I thought,” Sam trailed off.  He couldn’t come out and say that he’d expected Gabriel to be getting sucked off at the moment without revealing that he’d sort of been spying on the man.  “Nothing.” He shifted awkwardly. “I should get going,” he said. “I need a shower.”

 

“Need any help?” Gabriel winked at him.  “I’m excellent with a loofa.”

 

“No!” Sam almost shouted.  “I mean, I’m fine. Good. I’m super good and fine.”  Before he could continue to babble, Sam took off down the hall as quickly as he could.  He needed to be alone to take care of this because for some reason, the idea of Gabriel in his shower made him go from ‘sort of hard’ to ‘fully fucking interested.’

 

“I’m just teasing you, kiddo!” Gabe called after him.  

 

Sam didn’t stop until he was in his room, breathing heavily and unzipping his jeans.  He considered just rubbing one out right there but that idea was quickly squashed when he pictured Lucifer coming back to the room and catching him.  He managed to wait until he was locked in the bathroom, shower running, before he took himself in hand.

 

It was only moments before he was worked up to a frenzy and stroking himself with abandon.  Sam leaned against the cool wall of the shower, his head under the spray and slid his fist over his cock.  He tried to think of anything he could that wasn’t Gabriel. It didn’t work. No matter what he pictured, Sam kept coming back to that familiar face, teasing him, begging for him.  He could almost hear Gabe whisper his name and then it was all over. Sam spilled his release onto the floor of the large shower, his chest heaving with exertion. It had been _maybe_ four minutes since he’d started--probably more like two, if he was being honest.  Sam felt like a fucking teenager and he grit his teeth. He had no business thinking of Gabriel Fucking Novak in that way.  No business at all.

 

Finishing his shower as quickly as he possibly could, Sam fumed at himself.  The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. When he walked back into the bedroom, he was relieved to see that Lucifer hadn’t returned just yet.  Sam flopped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. It didn’t mean anything. He had only pictured Gabriel because he’d just seen the man and his face was in the forefront of Sam’s mind.  That was all. It hadn’t meant anything at all.

 

Sam kept repeating the mantra over and over in his mind as he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.  It didn’t mean anything. But deep down, he had a feeling that he might be lying to himself.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel goes on a date.  
> Benny is a great Bro.  
> Sam finds his fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eek! We are so sorry that it has been so long. April has been a bit crazy. Hopefully it will not be as long before the next update. Oops! To beg forgiveness--here is a super long chapter with some plot, some drama, and some humor. Have at it!
> 
> WARNING: There are mentions of Gabe going on dates (and kissing) others in this chapter. Also he goes on an ACTUAL date with someone who is NOT Sam.  
> Also--Mentions of illegal activities involving drugs. There is some drama coming up and this chapter is building it. Just be aware. Also mentions of vomit, although it happens off stage and isn't explicit--but some people can't deal with that, so fair warning.

Rowena stormed into Gabriel’s bedroom the next day where he was double checking his clothes and allowing Cas to film him talking about his upcoming date with Benny.  She burst in like a small hurricane of fire and stood in the doorway of the bathroom tapping her spiked heels on the tile with impatience. “Gabriel, my _precious_ little _darling,_ ” she began--and Gabe knew that he was in real trouble.

 

“Hello my little cherry,” Gabriel said as he didn’t move from the mirror, obsessively poking at his hair.  “What have I done now?”

 

“You kissed him,” Rowena said.

 

“You kissed Sam?” Castiel blurted out before he could think.  Gabriel and Rowena turned to stare at him. Gabe’s eyes were furious, while Rowena looked intrigued.  

 

“Does someone have a wee bit of a fancy for our resident giant?” Rowena clapped her hands together and bounced over to Gabriel’s side.  “That’s fantastic! It will do wonders for the ratings to have such a difficult courtship.”

 

“What?” Gabriel scrunched up his nose.  “Difficult?”

 

“Oh don’t you worry about that,” Rowena dodged him.  “Back to why I’m here,” she crossed her arms and tried to look intimidating.  Shockingly enough, it worked and Gabe took a step backward toward his brother.  “You kissed Lucifer and you did it where I didn’t have any cameras set up.”

 

“If you didn’t have any cameras, then how do you know that I kissed him?” Gabriel pointed out.

 

“Fine,” she slumped.  “There might have been a security camera in the corner of the garage that caught you.  But it isn’t a close up. The audience will want to see the _passion_ of your first kiss.”

 

“Trust me, Red,” Gabe smiled thinly.  “There wasn’t a lot of passion on my end.”

 

“Why not?  Lucifer is so...dreamy,” Rowena looked at the floor and tried to hide the fact that she was blushing.

 

“Oh I see,” Gabriel laughed.  “My little Gingersnap wants to eat the Devil right up, doesn’t she?”

 

“I would never go after a contestant,” Rowena said firmly.  “However, if he were eliminated, then I make no promises.”

 

Gabriel winked at her playfully.  “That’s my girl.”

 

“This all seems slightly unethical,” Cas muttered from behind them.

 

“Look,” Rowena put on her professional mask once more.  “We need a kiss. A good one. On camera--do you understand?”

 

“I got it,” Gabriel said with a sigh.

 

Rowena watched him for a moment before she continued.  “I can work with the security camera footage of you and Lucifer, but I need something close up.  And sexy. I know you,” she smiled wickedly at Gabriel. “I _know_ that you can do sexy.  Stir up some trouble, get the contestants riled up to win you--that sort of thing.”  She pretended to think for a moment. “Maybe kiss both of those gorgeous brothers and pit them against one another.  I need someone to be pushed into the pool, or have wine thrown in their face. Give me _something_ Gabriel.  Work your magic for me,” she almost sounded pleading.

 

“No promises on a fist fight, but steamy drama-- _that_ I can do,” Gabriel was half serious.

 

He could absolutely get things on screen heated up...if Sam was willing to be involved.  The rest of the contestants weren’t really doing anything for him so far and Gabe was concerned about that fact.  He couldn’t have everything hanging on one person. It would tank the show and it might backfire. Sam had been aloof and angry on their first meeting--he might not _want_ Gabe.  Which was ridiculous-- _everyone_ wanted a piece of his fine ass.

 

“You have a private date with Benny right now,” Rowena reminded him.  “I have Castiel and Kevin positioned for filming along with a few unobtrusive hidden cameras and microphones set up in the kitchen and the casual dining room.  At least kiss the man,” she ordered before she flounced away.

 

“I’m still not sure that I like her,” Cas said softly once Rowena had gone.

 

Gabriel waved his hand airily.  “She’s all bark. Come on, baby bro--time for me to kiss a guy I barely know, who is hopefully making me food.”

 

Cas trudged after him as they wandered toward the kitchen.  Castiel was supposed to be filming, but his hand-held camera was at his side, turned off, as they walked.  “I know how you feel about Sam,” Cas said firmly. Gabriel didn’t answer, or even make any sort of expression, and Cas continued.  “I don’t understand why you are continuing this farce. You care for Sam, and yet you’re planning on kissing Benny, simply because Rowena told you to--for ratings.”

 

Gabriel finally shrugged.  “Not all of us have the same moral code as you, brother.  I signed the paperwork,” he told his brother. “I can’t just call it all off--I have to see this through.  Even if,” he stopped walking and looked hard at Cas. “Even if I’ve already found the love of my life.”

 

“Gabriel—“ Cas’ eyes shot open.  But Gabriel didn’t continue. He simply kept walking, resolutely ignoring Cas scrambling after him.

 

By the time Gabe sauntered into the professional looking kitchen, he had a smirk plastered on his face and Castiel was filming his entrance.  “Hey!” Gabe chirped as he bounded up to the island where Benny had an array of bowls, various ingredients, and utensils scattered about.

 

The tall Cajun man nodded, a soft smile on his face.  “How are you doing this afternoon?”

 

“Couldn’t be better,” Gabriel said confidently.

 

Benny nodded as though he wanted to say something, but thought better of it.  After a few beats of silence, he gestured toward the counter and asked Gabriel if he’d like to learn how to assemble the tacos.  With the wave of a hand, Gabe scoffed that food was always the way to his heart, and they began.

 

It didn’t take much for Gabriel to get lost in Benny’s soothing voice as he explained how he had seasoned and cooked the shredded pork.  Gabe snatched a piece of it from the bowl while Benny’s back was turned and he thought about proposing marriage for a split second. “Fuck,” he managed.  

 

Benny turned around and looked at him blankly.  “Something wrong?”

 

“That pork!” Gabe was ogling at the chef.  “I’ve never had anything like it. It’s sweet, but there’s an afterburn of heat that almost cleared my sinuses, while still being freaking delicious!”

 

Chuckling, Benny said, “Just wait until you have it with everything else.  The cilantro yogurt sauce I whipped up really brings out more flavors in the meat.”

 

“I love it when a man knows his meat,” Gabe wiggled his eyebrows and they both laughed.

 

He could practically _feel_ Castiel’s disapproval from behind the camera.  He knew that his brother hadn’t been happy when Gabe had signed up for the show; and now that Cas knew that Gabe was falling hard for Sam, he was going to lay on the guilt trips.  Castiel didn’t approve of dating or kissing multiple people when you had feelings for only one of them. As far as Gabe was concerned, his little brother had trouble having fun.

 

In his undergrad, and during med school, Gabriel was a notorious flirt, and actively dated more than one person at a time.  He’d also taken up just about everyone’s invitations as well. But now that he was serious, looking for a lifetime, he understood where Cas was coming from.  It didn’t mean that he was going to listen to his baby bro. He’d signed the damn contract, and here he was. Lying down in the bed he’d made, and all that bullshit.

 

“Then we should get along just fine,” Benny said.  “I’m an expert in...meat.”

 

“Are you talking about actual animal flesh, or your penises?” Cas asked them from behind the camera

 

Benny was laughing behind his fist, while Gabriel stared back at his brother and deadpanned, “We may never know, Cas.”  Turning back to his date, Gabe said, “Seriously though--that pork can get better? Sign me up! For about a hundred tacos.”

 

“No way you can eat that many,” Benny smiled.

 

“You’d be surprised what I can devour,” Gabe shot back.

 

“Any chance you’d be willing to demonstrate?” Benny was playing.  “I like a man with a healthy appetite.”

 

“You’re talking about blowjobs now, aren’t you?” Cas piped in.

 

Gabe rolled his eyes and swung back to his brother.  “Yes, Cas. Do you have a problem? Would you rather send Kevin in to film and you can go do confessionals with the others?”

 

“No,” Cas grumbled.  He _hated_ the one on ones with the contestants, and Gabe knew it.  “I should probably keep an eye on you.”

 

When Gabe turned back, Benny had grabbed a few beers from the fridge and handed him a bottle.  “You two know one another?”

 

“He’s my brother,” Gabe said dismissively.

 

Instead of the usual comment about how the two of them looked so different, or wondering who was the eldest, Benny just shrugged and turned back to the food.  It was though the information meant nothing to him and Gabe wondered about that for a second. Benny distracted him with a plate of warm flour tortillas and Gabe put all of his focus on one of his favorite things--food.  It might not be sweet, but Benny’s cooking was damn delicious.

 

The chef walked Gabe through how to assemble the tacos, explaining what would make certain flavors pop and how he had prepared things.  Gabriel’s mouth was just hanging open and he was sure that he was drooling in anticipation. The smells alone were mouthwatering and almost too much.  He dutifully followed Benny’s suggestions and ended up with four rather large tacos on his plate.

 

When they both had full plates, Benny motioned with his head toward the smaller table in the breakfast nook just off of the kitchen.  They carried their food and beers over and slid into seats that were next to one another. Cas followed at a distance and squeezed into the corner of the room, his camera trained on both men, and his brow furrowed disapprovingly.

 

When Gabe took his first bite, flavorful juice dripping down his chin, he actually moaned, long and low.  Benny chuckled and bit into his own taco, nodding with silent approval. “Holy fuck, Benny!” Gabe said. “This might be the best fucking taco I’ve ever eaten.  I’m not even kidding.”

 

“They have to be better than that horrifying taco truck near the hospital,” Cas muttered under his breath.  Gabriel heard, but didn’t acknowledge his brother; Benny just kept eating, his nose scrunched.

 

“The seasoning is off,” Benny finally said, setting his taco down.  “Too much onion and not enough cayenne.” He looked over at Gabe sadly.  “I’m sorry, chere. These aren’t my best effort.”

 

“Are you fucking kidding?” Gabe was incredulous.  “These are amazing! You _do_ know that, right?”  

 

Benny shrugged.  “I can do better.”

 

“If these were any better, I’d be proposing right now,” Gabe joked, thinking back to his first bite of the pork.

 

“I see,” Benny grinned.  “You just want a hot, barefoot lover to cook you food and play with you between the sheets?”

 

Gabe put his hand over his mouth as he finished chewing another large bite.  “You’ve figured out my evil plan,” he winked. “My only requirements are to be good in the kitchen and fantastic in the sack.  Care to see if you fit the bill?”

 

He was teasing, and Benny was giving it right back, but Gabe could feel that neither of them had any feelings behind the comments.  Gabriel felt as though he was on auto-pilot, shifting his personality back to the days of med school when he would jump into bed with anyone who fell for his charms.  It made him feel slightly nauseous.

 

Pushing the feelings of unease away, Gabriel continued to eat the insanely good food, and flirt as much as possible with Benny.  They _were_ on a date, after all.  A few more steamy comments from both of them, punctuated by Cas huffing in the corner, and Gabriel knew that he’d put things off long enough.  He could almost _feel_ Rowena hovering over him, ordering him to ‘spice things up.’

 

He really didn’t want to fucking do this.  Gabriel actually _liked_ Benny--as a friend.  He figured that if he’d met the Southern chef in another time and place, they would have been thick as thieves--like brothers.  Benny had a very comforting air, and it was clear that he was loyal to a fault. Gabriel could use a decent friend in his life. He had Cas, sure; a few coworkers, but no one that he could just hang out with.  Benny would be a great friend. Gabriel shook his head, knowing that the moment he made a move, that things would change between them. He’d be giving someone false hope that he might fall in love with them, and doing it to Benny made him want to puke.

 

There wasn’t really another option though, and Gabe knew it.  Gabriel felt all sorts of sick as he made up his mind. He’d gotten himself into this situation, and Rowena would rip him to pieces if he didn’t comply.  He forced his eyes closed and leaned in, one palm resting on Benny’s chest. He didn’t even make contact before the larger man was gently pushing him away and Gabe’s eyes flew open.

 

“Woah, chere,” Benny chuckled.  “I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

 

Flopping back into his chair, Gabriel crossed his arms and stuck out his lower lip in a pout, despite the rushing feeling of relief.  “I _know_ ,” he said.  “I know it isn’t a great idea, but I’ve been told to ‘make shit happen,’ and that means kissing--everyone.”  He dropped his gaze and muttered, “No matter how much I don’t want to.”

 

A large hand came down softly on his shoulder and Gabriel finally glanced up to see Benny smiling at him.  “None of us are blind, chere,” Benny said. “I have an idea.”

 

Blinking stupidly, Gabriel wished that Cas wasn’t filming them, but he knew that his brother would be doing his job like a perfect little puppet.  Gabe wasn’t sure what Benny was talking about, or what sort of an idea the other man had, but he was willing to pay attention.

 

Benny shot him a rather steamy look before he curled his hand around Gabriel’s waist and pulled both the man and his chair toward him.  Gabe actually let out a bit of a squeak. His eyes went wide as Benny leaned in, angling his head so that his lips were almost brushing Gabe’s ear.  “Keep your voice down,” Benny requested. “We can all see that you favor Sam,” Benny whispered. “It’s obvious.” Gabe’s whole body went rigid at the words, and Benny’s chuckle puffed across Gabe’s skin.  “Don’t feel bad--least not about me. Or some of the others, for that matter. I have someone else waiting for me at home.”

 

Gabriel tried to pull away, but Benny tightened his grip, keeping Gabe still.  “What are you doing here then?” Gabe asked, keeping his voice low as well.

 

“It was a mistake,” Benny admitted.  “My...Andrea,” Gabe could feel Benny’s lips smiling, they were so close.  “She suggested this. I’m going to see it through. But when I go home, I’m going to sweep that woman off her feet.”  Gabe hummed, his own lips curling into a smile. “But I can help you, brother,” Benny continued. “Like this--you’re supposed to get physical with people, and you don’t want to.  I understand that. What we’re doing right now, probably looks all kinds of sinful from the camera’s angle. I think this will get you off the hook for a little while, and get people talking.”

 

Shifting, Gabe pulled away slowly, his eyes searching for something in Benny’s face.  The other man stared back at him, a quirk to his lips, simply waiting. Gabriel finally nodded and gave Benny a smile of his own.  “Thanks for that,” he said, truly meaning it.

 

“No worries, brother.”  Benny sat back in his chair, releasing his hold on Gabe.  “If you ever _need_ me again, you know where to find me,” Benny winked, and Gabriel latched on to the hidden meaning.  

 

Benny was willing to pretend for the cameras, but not force Gabe to _actually_ do anything.  This could fucking work!  A huge, grateful smile slid across Gabe’s face as he looked over at his new best friend.  “I might take you up on that, big boy,” Gabriel gave a saucy wink that had Benny guffawing into his beer.

 

“Oh, we’re doing innuendos now?” Benny grinned.  “I saw that itty bitty speedo you were wearing on day one.  Pretty sure that you’re a ‘big boy’ too, aren’t you?”

 

For the first time in a very long time, Gabriel actually blushed.

 

Xx xxx xX

 

Sam had successfully avoided Gabriel for three whole days after the incident in the hallway.  He was still horribly embarrassed whenever he thought about it, despite the fact that every time he pictured Gabriel’s teasing smirk, he’d get a fucking boner.  Sam was basically living in his own private teenaged nightmare.

 

It hadn’t been easy.  He had left rooms when Gabriel arrived, and he’d skipped a few group dinners.  He’d also ‘missed’ a group date where they all went swimming. He couldn’t face Gabriel in that damn speedo again.  The...bulge...was a little too much for Sam’s confused mind. He wasn’t planning on breaking, and one look at _that_ might change everything.  So he avoided, he left, he ran.  Whatever it took to make sure that he was never alone with Gabriel until Sam could figure out how to keep his stupid dick under control.  

 

The tiny redhead, Rowena, and the host, Crowley had called him out on it and chastised him for not participating.  He’d promised that he wouldn’t skip out of anything in the future at the risk of being kicked off the show. Despite the fact that he wasn’t thrilled about being there, Sam was determined to stay.  He told himself that it was all about enacting his revenge plan, and that it had nothing to do with the fact that every time he met Gabe’s eyes that his stomach flipped. That was just weird and it didn’t mean anything more than that Sam should probably stop eating seafood or something.  

 

The last few days had been...fine. Dean, and usually Cas, would pop in and check on him—maybe hang out for an hour or two. And his roommate, Lucifer, had been scarce, for which Sam was grateful. The worst part about it had been a toss up between the dreams that took him back to those horrible high school days; or the night he’d been looking out the window and had seen Lisa practically jump on Gabriel in a rather passionate kiss.  Sam had pulled the curtains shut tightly and spent almost an hour sitting on the stone bench in the shower under the water. While he wallowed, he contemplated asking Lisa how Gabriel kissed—which eventually led to Sam jerking off harshly and laying awake most of the night.

 

He was honestly disgusted with himself. What kind of a person jerked off thinking of the one man who had hurt them so deeply?  Fuck, he was twisted. When the door to the room opened, Sam pretended to be asleep so that he wouldn’t have to deal with Lucifer.  After four hours of tossing and turning, he finally drifted off, remembering Rowena’s words about “playing nicely.”

 

The promise to start participating more was what had Sam walking out to the backyard after three days of ducking around corners and sitting alone in his room. He bit back a sigh when he saw that almost everyone had arrived.  He wasn’t exactly sure what to do since Dean was chatting with Lisa, and Sam really didn’t want to look at her at the moment. He wasn’t jealous—he was just appalled that she would have thrown herself so eagerly at someone she barely knew. Yeah—right.

 

Sam rubbed his temples and thought about just leaving. Packing his bags and heading to the airport. He was sure he could convince someone to drive him.  He wasn’t really cut out for revenge anyway—it had been a terrible, spur-of-the-moment plan. Sam was in the middle of serious consideration when a sharp, almost painful slap landed on his ass.

 

He actually squawked and grabbed his butt, head whirling to give some hell to whoever had done that, when all of the words died in his mouth. Gabriel was looking up at him with a smug smile and a fierce glint in his eyes. Sam couldn’t tell if it was possessive or playful and for some reason, he didn’t have a preference. Either would be just fine.  “Glad you made it, kiddo,” Gabe was grinning. “We’ve missed you around here.”

 

“Yeah,” Sam rubbed the back of his neck and actually looked slightly guilty.  He was doing his best to _not_ look at the incredibly tight, short shorts that Gabe was wearing—deep black with flecks of glittering gold in them.  It was almost impossible to not stare. Especially since the black tank top was also fitted enough to showcase the smaller man’s body.  Sam swallowed and looked pointedly at his own shoes. He didn’t want to look at Gabe and think about how attractive the other man was--Gabriel was a jerk, not someone to lust after.  When Sam’s eyes went down, instead of his own feet, he was captivated by Gabe’s. The man was wearing giant fluffy slippers that looked like unicorns. What the fuck? The slippers were weird and ridiculous—and so very _Gabriel_ —that Sam had to bite back a chuckle. Instead, he cleared his throat and finally said, “I wasn’t feeling great.”  It was a lie, and he had the feeling that Gabe knew it.

 

“Crowley mentioned it,” Gabe said. “Dean did too...when I took him on a date.”

 

“You went on a date with Dean?” Sam wrinkled his nose and tried not to let the panic seep into his voice.  If Dean turned on his famous charm, then Gabriel would be lost to all of them. No one had ever said “no” to Dean Winchester before, and Sam doubted that Gabe would be the first. For some reason, the thought of his brother with his high school crush made Sam angry. He felt the hot flash run through his entire body as he balled up his fists at his sides. “How did it go?” He knew his voice was strained from his clenched jaw, but Sam had to know. He _had_ to hear Gabriel say it.

 

Gabe hummed, considering.  Something in his voice made Sam wonder if the other man had finally figured out who he was.  “It was very...hot.”

 

Sam blinked and bit down even harder, grinding his teeth.  “Awesome.”

 

Gabe snickered, as though he could read Sam’s mind. He twisted and showed his calf to Sam. There was a large, reddened welt covering the rather smooth and hairless skin.  “Your brother took me out on one of the motorcycles,” Gabe said. “When we got back, I bumped my leg against the exhaust while getting off the bike. Burned like a motherfucker.”

 

Eyes wide at the wound, Sam said, “Are you okay?”

 

Gabe laughed again and shrugged.  “You worried about me, kiddo?” When Sam didn’t respond in any way except for a bright blush, Gabe continued. “Luckily, I’m a doctor. And I’ve done quite a bit with burns—you know, being a plastic surgeon.  It’s minor—didn’t even blister. It honestly just feels like a sunburn. I’ll be fine.” He sighed dramatically. “So good to know you care though.”

 

“I don’t,” Sam said reflexively.

 

Gabriel stared at him for a beat, just long enough for Sam to feel uncomfortable.  “Well, good thing you’re feeling better,” Gabe finally said. “Or today’s group date would be pretty fucking horrible for you.”

 

“What?  Why?” Sam was suspicious.

 

Gabe just bounded away without a word, which made Sam nervous. What the hell did that little jerk have planned?

 

Sam moved to join the others as Crowley and Rowena came gliding out from the house. Despite the fact that she wasn’t an on-camera personality, Rowena was dressed in a sparkling evening gown. While she wore it like she was born for it, the outfit sent Sam’s radar pinging. Something was up. Maybe an elimination.

 

Ruby came sliding up beside him, standing way too close, her hand brushing Sam’s. He instinctively pulled away, but her words brought him back.  “Such a shame that we have to keep doing this ridiculous little dance when I’m going to be the one going home with him,” Ruby’s blood red lipstick was so distracting, but her meaning was crystal clear.

 

“Oh really?” Sam said, raising an eyebrow. As far as he knew, Ruby hadn’t even been on a private date with Gabriel yet.

 

She arched her perfectly sculpted brow right back. “Of course.”  Ruby leaned in and whispered. “You know that weird camera guy?” Her eyes darted to Cas who was setting up his equipment. “That’s Gabe’s brother,” she was acting as though Sam didn’t already know that information—and that’s when it hit him, that none of the others really knew that he and Gabe had a past.  Sam figured that was probably for the best.

 

“Wow,” was all he said in response.

 

Ruby glared at him, as though she had expected a better reaction. “Whatever. I overheard him talking, and apparently Gabe used to be kind of a ‘ho.  But now he’s all ‘reformed’ and refuses to have sex with someone he doesn’t care about.” Ruby actually snorted. “Can you believe that? Pathetic.”

 

Sam’s breath caught. That wasn’t pathetic—not to him. It was actually really refreshing and...nice.  He actually felt butterflies for a moment before stamping the emotion down and trying to refocus on Ruby.  She seemed...off, devious; and Sam didn’t like it. When she snapped open her small purse and showed Sam what was inside, he actually saw red.

 

“Are you insane?” He hissed.  “You can’t _drug_ someone!”

 

She rolled her eyes and closed her purse. “A few drinks and a crushed up sleeping pill and he’ll assume that our date ended with a bang, as it were.  Not that I’d _ever_ actually sleep with a guy like him. _So_ not my type.”  She rested her hand on Sam’s arm. “I like my boys...bigger.”

 

He jerked away roughly, his face disgusted.  “Get the hell away from me,” he hissed. He didn’t want to draw too much attention to the two of them. If it looked like they might be hooking up behind Gabe’s back they would both be booted. And while Sam absolutely thought that Ruby needed to go—he wasn’t ready to head home just yet.  “I’m going to Crowley about this,” he told her firmly.

 

“I didn’t peg you to be a loser, Sam,” she snarled back. “And you can go right ahead and keep this conversation between us. Because if you don’t, I’ll tell them you fucked me, and you’ll be kicked off too.”  

 

Her eyes glinted with malice and for the first time in his life, Sam actually wanted to punch a female. Ruby was fucking sick, and Sam was barely controlling his rage.  “My date with him is in two days,” she said. “This will all be over soon. And then _I’ll_ be the one with a ring.  The rest of you may as well go home now.”

 

She turned and walked away from him, a bounce to her step.  Sam physically slumped from the emotions pulling at his very soul. He was actively warring with himself. Ruby’s plan was so far beyond underhanded and falling into ‘fucking criminal,’ over a _game_!  He hadn’t expected anything like this when he had agreed to join Dean on the show.  He knew that he had to tell someone—but he couldn’t risk being sent home just yet.

 

Who to tell?  Normally Sam would run straight for Dean, but his brother had been distant for a while, as though he was hiding something. And Sam might not want to admit it, but he was a little pissed off that Dean had went on a date with Gabe and hadn’t said anything. Sam thought that Dean would avoid the other man after Sam had spilled a little about their past interactions. Apparently not.  So Dean was out for the time being.

 

Crowley and Rowena too since Ruby had made it very clear what she would do if exposed. And Sam had a feeling that anyone on the crew would count in Ruby’s eyes, which ruled Castiel out as well. Shit. Sam glanced around the group. Most, like Balthazar and Billie, he figured wouldn’t be any help at all.  From the small amount that Sam had conversed with Benny, he felt that the man already had _way_ too much on his plate. Sam didn’t want to add to that. And Lucifer would most likely praise Ruby for her “ingenious ploy,” because sharing a room with the man had opened Sam’s eyes to how shitty some people actually were.  

 

He briefly considered Lisa. The woman was Ruby’s roommate, and a nurse. She could tell the show runners and make it look like she just stumbled onto the plot herself, leaving Sam out of it.  But just as he had made up his mind, he saw Lisa lean in to Gabriel, her hand hovering over his ass as she placed a firm kiss on his cheek. He didn’t pull away. Sam realized that he didn’t want to speak to Lisa. Not about anything.

 

The whole thing made Sam’s head ache.  He looked up and watched Gabriel bounce between the contestants, looking as though he was happy to see each of them.  He huffed when Gabe tossed a wink to Ruby, unknowing of the woman’s deceitful nature. Sam wanted to go over there and take Gabe away. Somewhere safe, where it was just the two of them and—wait. What?

 

Sam was trying to work through _that_ whole tangled train of thought when he felt a steel grip on his wrist. He looked down to see Rowena grimacing at him.  “Now dearie,” she gave him a tug. “You promised to have some fun and not be such a bloody downer for the viewers, yes?” Sam just nodded as Rowena pulled him forward into the group.

 

A few long tables had been set up on the lawn under the shade of a large bur oak tree. Colorful tablecloths were covering them and enough chairs for each person were lined up on one side. It was an extremely odd setup.  The chairs were labeled with their names and Sam breathed in relief when he saw that both Ruby and Lucifer were at the opposite end from him.

 

He allowed Rowena to guide him and push him down into a chair between his brother and Balthazar. The Englishman was looking around disdainfully and made a harsh sound when Sam slid in beside him. “Do you really own nothing but flannel?” Balthazar’s nose was turned up.

 

“Um,” Sam wasn’t sure how to respond. He was still thinking about Ruby.

 

Thankfully, Dean had overheard. He pulled away from a conversation with Benny and fixed Balthazar with a look. “Nah,” he said casually. “Sometimes we just go full nude, but we didn’t want you to feel inadequate. Most guys who posture as much as you aren’t usually anything to write home about below the belt, you know?”

 

Sam broke out of his musings just long enough to smile at Balthazar’s flushing face and horrified choking sounds at the implication that he had a tiny dick.  Any retort was cut off by the stationary lights around them turning on and Crowley stepping in front of the table as he cleared his throat. Gabriel was hovering next to him looking absolutely impish and once again, Sam wondered what was going on.

 

“So very glad that you could all join us for another Group Date,” Crowley sounded as though he were reading the dictionary and his face was a total mask.  “This upcoming weekend marks the annual local Treasure Fest, which is a celebration of the importance of mining in the state’s history.”

 

Sam shifted and sat up straighter in his seat. He loved learning about history, especially when he was close enough to possibly experience it.  He had known that Montana was called the Treasure State, but he was ashamed that he’d never thought to research why. Mining was actually pretty cool. He remembered hearing about it in his studies as a kid. His second grade class had went to a museum and he’d had just enough pocket change at the end to buy a single, small piece of Fool’s Gold.  

 

He’d been so proud bringing it home, thinking that he had the real thing, and that maybe his dad wouldn’t have to work so hard anymore.  Dean was old enough to try and comfort him when their father started screaming and threw the little souvenir in the trash. Funny—Sam hadn’t thought about that in years.

 

Turning his attention back to Crowley, who was explaining that they would all be participating in a game, Sam narrowed his eyes.  Another game; Gabriel seemed fond of them. Oddly enough, Sam usually was as well. The Cornhole tournament when they had first arrived was interesting and almost fun. But Sam was hesitant to see what would be thrown at them now that they had all ‘settled in.’

 

Gabriel was practically vibrating next to Crowley, rubbing his hands together and the whole thing made Sam a little nervous.  Not to mention that he was trying to put the Ruby situation out of his mind until later. He had about forty-eight hours, after all.

 

Finally, Crowley stopped in the middle of a sentence and rolled his eyes and Gabriel. “Would you like to do my job for me since you’re so bloody keyed up?”

 

“Absolutely,” Gabe slapped Crowley on the back, ignoring that the host had been asking a rhetorical question. “We are going to do something fun!”  Gabe started walking up and down the table, smiling wickedly at all of them. “The more you get to know me, the more you’ll find out just how much fun I am,” he winked at Sam with those words.

 

“The best part of fun and games is doing stuff that makes you happy,” Gabriel continued. “And you know what makes me happy?”  He paused, but no one spoke. “Food!”

 

Both Benny and Dean high fived one another while Dean hissed “Yes!”  Sam rolled his eyes. A game…food...Sam’s mouth dropped. “An eating competition?” He shouted.

 

“Bingo,” Gabe cries as he pointed straight at him. “Points for the Sexy Samsquatch!”

 

“Oh, everyone is going down,” Dean proclaimed.

 

“Brother, I could eat more than you any day.”  Benny was smiling, and Sam wondered when the two of them had become so close.

 

“Better watch your back,” Lisa smirked from Benny’s other side. “I may be tiny, but I hold the record for the most Buckeyes eaten at my hospital’s Holiday Party—five years running,” she boasted.

 

“What’s a Buckeye?” Dean asked, looking unimpressed.

 

“Candy,” Gabriel, Lisa, and Benny all spoke as one.

 

“Peanut butter and chocolate,” Benny added.

 

“And so delicious,” Lisa purred.

 

Gabriel made a happy little sound that caused Sam’s stomach to flip again. “You know that candy is the way to my heart, Lis,” he smiled.

 

Sam wanted to puke at the nickname. Gabe didn’t _know_ Lisa—not really. Why did _she_ get a nickname too?  Logically, Sam knew that he didn’t have the market cornered on a Gabriel Novak Approved Nickname; but he had sort of thought that he was the only one that Gabe teased that way.  Back when they’d been kids, whenever Sam was at Cas’ place to study—and Gabe wasn’t being an asshole—he’d always called Sam _something_.  He’d started to think that it was Gabe’s way of being affectionate. Until the fucking fish.

 

The fish. Fuck. Sam’s jaw set again at the mental reminder. He was here for a reason. And that reason was _not_ allowing himself to get _jealous_ over a dickbag.  That’s all that Gabriel was. An asshole from his past who was going to get his.  They better not be eating fish for this stupid contest. Sam would actually flip out if they were.

 

“This is going to be timed, and whoever wins, gets to accompany _me_ to the Treasure Fest; where they might get a _treasure_ of their own,” Gabe’s eyebrows waggled suggestively.

 

“The winner will also have immunity in the upcoming Elimination,” Crowley broke in. “So make sure that you’re here to win.”

 

“I’m fucking excited,” Gabriel said happily.

 

“Gabriel!” Rowena hissed loudly. “We talked about the swearing.  I can’t have editing remove half of what you say!”

 

Gabe made a face that had most of the contestants giggling. “Cripes,” he said. “Sorry my little Hell Queen—I’ll do better.”  He turned back to them all and made the same face and pose as earlier. “I’m super duper excited!” He called back over his shoulder, “Is that better, Strawberry?”

 

“You’re impossible,” Rowena said fondly.

 

“Right,” Crowley grumbled. “Let’s move this along, shall we?  I’m getting a sunburn.”

 

“What are we going to be eating?” Sam asked.

 

No one answered. Instead the doors to the house burst open and people carrying trays were making their way out to the table of people.  “Awesome!” Dean crowed as members of the staff came swarming out to the patio carrying trays of...hotdogs!

 

Internally, Sam groaned. Others, such as Benny, _vocally_ protested the food. Sam could perfectly remember the last time he’d eaten a hotdog. It had been the summer he went to sleepaway camp, and the only reason he’d broken down and eaten one was because there were no other options on the menu for that meal—and he’d been hungry.  Sam _hated_ hotdogs.  At least he wasn’t dwelling on Ruby and her purse full of sleeping pills any longer.

 

“Brother,” Benny was saying, “this isn’t food.  If you want an eating competition at least make it something edible like crab cakes or beignets!”

 

Gabriel pointed at Benny, his eyes aglow.  “Ooh, yes!” He cried. “Beignets next time, for sure!”

 

Sam grimaced as a tray was set in front of him.  There was no way he was eating those...things. He closed his eyes and joined Benny saying, “You know that there’s around two hundred and fifty calories in each of these.”  Everyone stared at him, but he kept going. “Not to mention the carbs—or the fact that no one is really sure what constitutes ‘trimmings.’ I mean, they allow feet and the liver to be included in that.”  He looked up from examining one of the dogs to find everyone assembled staring at him in horror.

 

“Way to be a buzzkill, Sammy,” Dean finally said.

 

Gabe was hovering at his shoulder and Sam was acutely aware of how close the other man was. “Come on, kiddo,” Gabe chided, pouting his lips. “I just want to see your mouth around a wiener.”

 

Sam gaped.  A few other people choked at the comment, while Rowena and Crowley openly snickered. Gabriel moved even closer, invading Sam’s space.  He placed one hand on Sam’s chest while plucking a hot dog up with the other and dangling it near Sam’s face. “Pretty please Samshine,” Gabe stuck out his lower lip and Sam’s stomach flipped at the sight. “Will you put your lips around my wiener?”

 

“Oh my god, Gabe,” Sam swallowed and made a half-hearted attempt to push the smaller man away.

 

“Well, _I_ certainly will,” Ruby spoke up, eyeing Gabriel who grinned back at her.  

 

Sam glared down the table at her over-the-top flirting.  Less than fifteen minutes ago, she’d told Sam that she had no desire to even _touch_ Gabe, yet here she was, leading him on in the hopes that she would end up the winner of a dumb reality show.  Sam seethed. It didn’t get better when he glanced up at Gabriel and saw that the man himself had turned all of his attention to the other end of the table where Ruby and Lucifer were making obscene gestures with their hotdogs.

 

Without a word, Gabriel dropped the hotdog in his hand back onto Sam’s plate and walked away.  He got to the other end of the table and leaned onto the top, his smaller frame looming over Lucifer’s broad shoulders.  They were both smirking at one another, and Ruby’s hands were on both men’s arms. It was like a freaking threesome invitation happening right before Sam’s eyes.  He had to force himself to look down at the giant plate of cooling phallic meats so that he wouldn’t stand up and physically remove Gabriel from the area. He knew that Lucifer and Ruby were bad news, but apparently Gabe didn’t see it.  Or he was thinking with something besides his _actual_ brain--that was honestly more likely, in Sam’s mind.

 

“You okay?” Dean leaned over and whispered to him.  “You look like you’re still sick.”

 

Sam glared at his brother.  Dean knew full well that being sick the past few days was only an excuse.  “I’m fine.”

 

“You know you can just tell them you don’t want to participate,” Dean said.

 

“Not if you don’t want to be eliminated next,” Balthazar hummed from Sam’s other side, where he’d obviously been eavesdropping.  “Not that any of us would mind if you left, Samuel. You’ve already monopolized enough of Gabriel’s time. Especially when you’re not really worth his advances anyway.”

 

Sam slumped at the familiar insult.  It didn’t even really hurt--he’d already told himself the same thing for the past twenty-odd years.  “What the fuck does that mean?” Dean hissed, moving as though he was going to toss his chair away and punch Balthazar in the nose.  Benny placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder though, diffusing the older Winchester’s anger ever so slightly.

 

“What do you think it means?” Balthazar wasn’t even looking at them as he spoke.  His attention was solely on poking at the hotdogs on his own plate with disdain. “Gabriel Novak is a successful, wealthy, handsome surgeon,” Balthazar said, finally looking up.  “He deserves better than a passably attractive, glorified sales associate.”

 

“He’s not a sales associate, he’s a fucking archivist,” Dean snapped.  “And even if he was, working retail is a perfectly acceptable job. You looking down on it, just shows that you’re even more of an asshole than I already thought.”

 

Dean’s head snapped up suddenly at a noise and Sam followed his brother’s gaze.  Kevin was using a hand-held camera and was capturing everything that was going on between the four of them.  Fantastic. Dean sat back in his chair with a huff when he realized they were being filmed. Both brothers were content to move on, in order to maintain their dignity, as much as they could.  However, Balthazar was not.

 

He sneered at them once more, when it became clear that the Winchesters were finished arguing.  “That’s rich, coming from an ex-soldier,” Balthazar said coldly. “Were you just too dumb to get into college?  Or did you not even graduate high school and took the only opportunity open to you?”

 

The barb stung, mostly because it was bordering on correct.  Not the dumb part--Sam knew that his brother was practically a genius, he just wasn’t ‘book smart,’ as some people would say.  Dean had dropped out when he turned seventeen, and started working at a local garage, doing oil changes and rotating tires. He used the money to buy food and pay rent on the crappy one bedroom that he and Sam lived in.  Sam knew that he never would have graduated high school either if Dean hadn’t been providing for them. His brother had sacrificed so that Sam could go to college one day.

 

Once Bobby stepped in though, Dean had gotten his GED, and enlisted as soon as possible, leaving Sam behind for the last few years of school.  Honestly, Sam was fine with it. Dean shouldn’t have had to put his own life on hold for Sam, but he was incredibly grateful that his brother cared so much for him.  Balthazar taunting Dean about both his education, and his rather illustrious military career were sore spots, and Sam wasn’t even surprised when two seconds later, Dean was on the pompous Brit, pinning him to the grass after throwing the man out of his own seat.

 

He hadn’t thrown a punch, but his hands were fisted in Balthazar’s deceptively casual shirt, and the British man’s eyes were wide with fear.  For a moment, no one moved except Kevin, who was moving closer to the pair, his camera recording every move. Sam felt as though he was moving in slow motion as he jumped up and pried his brother off of Balthazar.  “Dean, let it go,” he said, trying to soothe Dean’s fury.

 

Something in his tone must have registered because Dean let go and stood up, backing away.  Sam was holding Dean’s shoulder as his brother glared down at the other man. In the split second of silence, Crowley slipped between the three of them, his voice oily.  “Is there a problem, gentlemen?”

 

“No,” Dean said gruffly, turning away and taking his seat again.

 

Sam followed, noting that no one moved to help Balthazar to his feet.  The other man grumbled as he stood and warily took his place next to Sam once more, the tension palpable.  The rest of the assembled group were watching the three of them, and Sam cringed when he saw that Gabe hadn’t moved and was still being practically felt up by Lucifer and Ruby.

 

With a grimace, Sam promised himself that despite the fact that he hated hotdogs, he was going to do his best to win this stupid competition.  He couldn’t bear it if Ruby, Lucifer, or Balthazar won and were granted a private date _and_ immunity.  It wouldn’t be right.  Somewhere inside of him, Sam knew that Dean would most likely end up with the prize, and he didn’t want to acknowledge the idea that he didn’t want his brother to win either.  Hotdogs were the worst, but if they were the key to making sure that he was still in the game, as well as keeping Gabe out of Ruby’s clutches, then Sam was all for it.

 

“Are we all ready?” Crowley asked them, moving to stand in front of the table once more.

 

Sam openly stared as Ruby slid her hand boldy up Gabriel’s thigh, teasing at the hem of the bachelor’s incredibly short shorts.  He might have growled, because both Dean and Benny shot him strange glances. Sam ignored them as he glared down the table at them.  He picked up one of the hot dogs and held it up in a mock toast to Crowley. “Yeah,” he said, his voice on edge. “We’re ready.”

 

Xx xxx xX

 

Castiel Novak had always been a consummate professional.  His childhood years had been spent studying, in the company of others that shared his passion for excellent grades and foreign languages.  He’d been at the top of his classes all through school, impressing his teachers with his maturity. Now that he was grown and in the workforce, Castiel rarely called in sick and _never_ stayed out too late on a work night.  He was well-respected in his field, and had the recommendations to prove it.  That was why, his very nature was working against him when he saw Dean Winchester throw the other contestant to the ground.

 

There was a split second where Cas actually stepped away from his camera and moved toward the group.  A sharp finger snap next to his ear had him blinking and looking down at a scowling Rowena. “What are you doing?” she hissed.  “Get back there and get me another good angle of this fight!” He turned back, watching Sam and Benny coax Dean away from Balthazar and his fingers twitched.  “Castiel,” Rowena snapped again. “You’re paid to film them, not join them.” She waved her hands toward him, shooing him back behind his camera.

 

He grumbled, but he obeyed.  Cas always obeyed, and he was finding that he was getting a little sick of it.  The men were seated again, grumbling amongst themselves. Castiel glanced down the table to see that Gabriel was still allowing himself to be touched by the woman who gave Cas bad vibes.  Ruth? No, Ruby. Castiel had found that he wasn’t a fan of hers after a few sessions filming her one on one. She was underhanded, manipulative, and seemed to be there for all of the wrong reasons.  

 

Shaking his head as he adjusted the focus on his camera once more, Cas silently observed the scene before him.  Sam was staring down the table at Gabriel and Ruby, causing Cas to feel keenly for his old friend. Castiel had known that Sam had been harboring a crush on Gabriel all those years ago.  He’d never pressed, and Sam had never come out and said it--but it was clear. The cruel prank that had finally ended things, had changed Sam. He never came over to study afterwards, and Cas had mourned the loss of a friend that he’d come to care for so greatly.  He’d needed friends during that time, but not as much as Gabriel had. Cas had done his best to stay close to Sam, but Gabe’s trick had pushed the younger man away from both Novaks.

 

After high school, distance reigned and Cas was now lucky to receive a single text a year from Sam Winchester.  He’d actually been thrilled to find out that his old friend was going to be on the show. He knew that he’d pressured Sam to stay, tossing out a half-baked idea of revenge.  It was for selfish reasons though. Cas really just wanted to reconnect with a man who he had once considered to be his best friend. As Castiel watched the assembled group trying to focus on the eating contest, his eyes kept drifting between his older brother and Sam.  It was so glaringly obvious that Sam still had feelings for Gabriel. And from the hushed confessions of Gabe’s, Cas was well aware that Gabriel was infatuated with Sam as well.

 

Everyone could see it.  Except for the two of them.

 

Castiel saw the determined glint in Sam’s eyes even from a distance, and he mentally applauded his friend’s resolve.  He knew that Sam despised unhealthy food. While Cas hoped that perhaps this meant that Sam was going to fight for Gabriel’s affections, he knew that the more likely possibility was simply that Sam wanted to win so that he could eventually take Cas’ own suggestion and break the older man’s heart.  Castiel found that he was beginning to regret his rash suggestion. He should have never given Sam such a hurtful idea. Despite Gabriel’s past actions, Cas hadn’t been lying about extenuating circumstances. And Sam Winchester wasn’t a cruel person--Cas hated to think that something he had said in a moment of weakness could have been the catalyst at changing his friend so deeply.  At least Dean had listened to Castiel’s explanation.

 

The older Winchester, while still pissed at teenage Gabriel, recognized that there was more to the story than bullying and the perception of unrequited love.  Between the two of them--with a little help from their new ally, Benny--Castiel was sure that they would find a way to bring Sam and Gabriel together, the way that it should have been all of those years ago.

 

Crowley was standing in front of the contestants, giving a few last minute rules for the hot dog eating competition. Watching everyone assembled, Cas noticed that while Gabriel had planted himself between Ruby and Lucifer, his eyes were constantly drifting down the row and locking onto Sam.  Cas followed his brother’s gaze and saw that Sam was staring straight ahead, his eyes on Crowley, his hands gripping the platter of food in front of him. Cas frowned and began to look back to his brother, only to catch Dean winking at him. Rolling his own eyes, Cas noticed that Kevin had seemed to pick up on the fact that the older Winchester seemed to be flirting with someone that wasn’t Gabriel. He ducked his head and prayed that Kevin didn’t put things together. He was going to have to speak to Dean about being more discreet...again.

 

Four of the crew members were rolling out a large platform that housed a gigantic digital clock.  It was primed and ready to begin timing. There was a stationary camera set up to do shots of the clock, leaving Castiel and Kevin to cover the human element.  Cas had a mostly broad view of the action, while Kevin and his handheld were bouncing around the table. Two other cameras were being manned by interns from the closest college with a film department. The two students were chipper and eager to learn, excited to have a real professional  production for their resume. Cas hadn’t bothered to learn their names.

 

“You will have ten minutes to consume the... _food_...before you,” Crowley was scrunching up his nose.  “Each of you have a crew member assigned to stand by you. They will keep track of how many hotdogs you eat, as well as supply you with more, should that be the case.  The contestant who eats the most in that amount of time—and keeps it down—will be declared the winner and will receive immunity from elimination, as well as their private date at Treasure Fest!”  Crowley seemed to manage the barest amount of enthusiasm when he asked, “Who’s ready?”

 

The group managed to sound excited as they all cheered, with the exception of Billie, who maintained her usual silence.  The call to begin the competition was sounded and Cas did his best to keep his focus on his job, and not the obscenely suggestive gestures that Dean was making with one of his hotdogs.

 

Thankfully, Gabriel had moved away so that everyone could focus. He’d taken a space next to Crowley, the two men leaning toward one another having a hushed conversation.  Castiel wanted to get Dean alone so he could speak to him about keeping their relationship under wraps. And he wanted to corner his brother and beat some sense into Gabriel.  

 

He’d caught Gabe wondering out loud why he found Sam so familiar. But Gabe hadn’t directly asked Castiel, and Cas hadn’t felt the need to inform his sibling. Eventually Gabriel would figure things out. He knew that once Gabriel heard Sam’s surname that it would click. His brother may have thought that he had kept his affections to himself, but Castiel had known. He had seen the lingering looks, the casual touching and the ridiculous nicknames when they were kids. Gabriel was much more obvious than he thought, not to mention that Cas could read his brother like a book.  

 

He had also decided not to directly interfere because Cas had long ago sworn off pushing his brother with anything that resembled a relationship. He’d learned that lesson.  The last time he’d tried to press Gabriel into admitting his feelings was when they were teens—and it resulted in The Fish Incident. Cas wasn’t going to overtly get involved ever again. But he wasn’t above trickery, and he was certainly fine with having Benny or Dean get their hands dirty. Just as long as Castiel was at least a few degrees away. He didn’t want to ruin anything—he tended to destroy even the most simple of plans with his good intentions and general bad luck.

 

He must have been distracted by his own thoughts, because when Gabriel suddenly yelled “Go,” Cas wasn’t quite sure what was happening for a moment.  He immediately began to shoot as much usable footage as he could.

 

It was wholly unsurprising that Dean was doing well. He was wolfing down hotdogs as though he hadn’t eaten in days. Next to him, Benny wasn’t faring as well. Each bite that the chef took made him grimace. Down near the end, Balthazar was doing his best, but it was painfully clear that the Englishman wanted to quit—and possibly throw up.  Lucifer and Ruby were holding their own, but were constantly making comments about how ‘pedestrian’ the whole thing was, unaware that their microphones were picking up every word. For her part, Lisa started out rather well, but hit a plateau after three and a half in as many minutes. She actually got up from the table and ran into the house, no doubt looking for a bathroom. Cas grimaced as he watched her go.  Next to Lisa’s now vacant seat, Billie was methodically chomping her way through the stack of meat and bread. Cas couldn’t tell how many she had consumed, but her plate was still relatively full.

 

However, when Cas glanced over at his friend, he saw that Sam’s pile was dwindling fast.  Despite his obvious aversion to the chosen food, Sam seemed to be doing his level best to emerge victorious.  It seemed as though the only person close to Sam as they came up to the five minute mark was his brother. Once Lisa had taken off, others began to push away their plates, looking a little green around the gills.

 

Cas could see that Benny and Balthazar had both apparently given up, while Lucifer—still in the game—had slowed to a normal chewing pace.  Ruby had lost some steam as well, and while she was still eating, she looked positively murderous about it. Dean had taken to eating a hot dog, while dunking the bread into the water glass in front of him, soaking it. Cas actually bit back a gag at the sight.  Billie was still eating rather robotically, but her plate held far more hotdogs than either Sam’s or Dean’s.

 

“This is fantastic,” Dean said around his mouthful of chewed food. His cheeks were comically puffed out as he spoke and ate simultaneously.  Cas was appalled and moved his camera away from his lover’s subpar table manners.

 

“Glad you’re having fun, Dean-o,” Gabe smiled, rocking back on his heels. Cas didn’t like the glint in his older brother’s eyes. Something was up, but he wasn’t sure what it could be.

 

Two minutes left—Sam waved his hand and the crew member assigned to him took away his empty plate and set a second one down in front of him. The look on Sam’s face seemed to be simply determined rage. He worked his clenched jaw for a moment before picking up another hotdog and practically shoving it into his mouth.  The noise of disgust he made could be heard by everyone assembled, and it made Gabriel chuckle.

 

“You seem to be trying awfully hard to win a date with me, Samburger,” Gabe’s attention was completely focused on the tall man as he glared down at the platter of food.

 

To his credit, Sam didn’t respond. Not to the implicating statement, nor to the brand new nickname. Cas was pleased that his friend wasn’t going to let Gabriel get to him.  While _he_ knew that his brother’s favorite way to flirt was to tease, Sam did not.  Castiel didn’t want his friend to take the mild taunting in the wrong way—it would set their plans back too far.

 

The clock clicked away, with Crowley and the contestants who’d quit all counting down the last ten seconds.  When the buzzer sounded, and everyone stopped eating, Cas pulled back and made sure to get a wide shot of the whole scene.  He smiled to himself at the incredibly smug look on Dean’s face. He actually _laughed_ when Dean turned to his brother and realized that Sam had beaten him.

 

“Dude,” Dean pointed at the plate in front of Sam. “Did you even try?  You ate like, four.”

 

Sam snorted and fixed his brother with a sinister-looking grin. “This is my second plate.”

 

Dean’s eyes bugged out comically as he turned to the young crew member standing behind Sam, wordlessly asking for confirmation. The guy nodded at Dean, who turned back to his brother, his mouth gaping. “You won’t eat a single corn dog at the fair when I _beg_ you, but you’ll wolf down a hundred sausages just to get some alone time with Tiny Dr. Sexy?”

 

Sam’s face tinged with a blush, but all he said in response was, “it wasn’t a hundred, Dean.”

 

“Bitch.”

 

“Jerk.”

 

“If you two denim-wrapped nightmares are done with the girl talk, can we move along?” Crowley cut in with the snark that made him famous.

 

The Winchester’s sat back in their chairs quietly, even ignoring a snort and derogatory comment about their fashion sense from Ruby.  Cas’ gaze flicked over to his brother and found that Gabriel was staring at the Winchester’s with interest. At first glance it seemed as though Sam would be winning the date and immunity.

 

“Each plate contained ten hotdogs,” Crowley announced. “The lovely people standing behind each of you have been keeping track of how many you consumed in the time allotted.  Let’s find out who our winner is, shall we?”

 

The host moved down the line, starting at the end with Balthazar, who had managed three before stopping.  Next to him, Sam was the clear winner, being on plate number two and having twelve whole hotdogs eaten. Everyone gave him a round of applause, seeing as it would be next to impossible to top that amount.  Dean hit eight, which was pretty respectable, considering. Cas joined in with the clapping for Dean’s gastric efforts. Benny had stopped at four, saying that the food was ‘staking his taste buds.’ They skipped over Lisa, who had still not returned.  Crowley turned, his gaze landing on Billie, who was next in line.

 

Billie sat quietly, the plate in front of her glinting in the sun, two full hotdogs placed in the exact center. “Eight, then?” Crowley smiled. “Same as Dean.”

 

A small voice spoke up from over Billie’s shoulder. “Um, actually, Mr. Crowley,” a slight girl with dark hair said timidly. “That was Ms. Billie’s second platter.  She finished the first around the five minute mark.”

 

Everyone turned and gaped at the quiet, yet imposing woman seated with them. Billie’s expression was a mask. She stared straight ahead, without a word, her gaze connecting with no one.  “What’s your name?” Crowley asked the young crew member.

 

“Tessa.”

 

“Are you sure you kept correct track of how much Billie ate?” Crowley’s voice dripped with condescension.

 

The almost childlike features of the girl’s face dropped as her eyes went hard. She held up an empty plate and gave the host a thin smile. “As I said,” Tessa now sounded serious and more than a little angry. “She was on her _second_ plate when the buzzer sounded. I may not be trusted with much more than fetching coffee around here, but I know how to count.”  Almost everyone, besides Rowena, hid their smiles behind their hands. The small producer just cackled when Crowley shot her a glare. It wasn’t often someone had the balls to give Crowley a dressing down, and Tessa seemed to have the courage to take on ‘The Meanest Man on Television.’  She tapped the empty plate with her fingernail before saying, “Billie ate eighteen hotdogs.”

 

Clearing his throat, Crowley actually backed down.  “Fine, then. Eighteen.” Cas was impressed at the young woman’s gumption, and he joined in the thundering applause for Billie. The woman didn’t even blink. It was disconcerting, even to Castiel, who’d been told numerous times that he was rather odd.

 

They moved down the line, where Lucifer had eaten four, while Ruby had managed six.  Crowley and Gabriel moved toward the table to congratulate Billie on her win, and Cas frowned at the odd look on his brother’s face. Gabe was doing his best to hide his disappointment, but his eyes kept flicking toward Sam. If no one had noticed how infatuated Gabriel was by now, Cas would have to question their observational skills. His brother was beyond transparent—at least to Cas.  The whole situation was made even more comical to Castiel, with the vocal protests combined with longing looks from Sam that Cas had endured whenever his friend and brother were in the same room. The two of them were idiots, in Castiel’s opinion.

 

Even now, with the cameras running, they were shooting fleeting glances at one another as Gabriel went to accept his date with Billie.  The shot that Cas had framed was perfect as their host moved between Billie and Gabe. “Well, what can I say?” Crowley said. “That was certainly an impressive amount of food eaten, and I’m sure that we all agree—“

 

Abruptly, Billie stood, her chair falling backward into the grass. “I tire of this game, and this company,” she said.  Her voice was both soothing and commanding—it was powerful. “I wish to withdraw myself from the competition.”

 

Crowley’s brow furrowed.  “But the eating contest is over,” he trailed off lightly, confusion coloring his words.

 

“You misunderstand,” Billie was firm.  “I will be going home. I have no desire to compete for the affections of a man who desires another.”

 

Gabriel blinked at the words, but even _he_ couldn’t come up with anything to say before Billie was gone, striding into the house with Tessa galloping after her.  Castiel had some small satisfaction at the rising blush on his brother’s cheeks. Everyone was doing their best to not openly stare, with a few exceptions. The words of Billie had mostly hit their mark. Everyone knew that she had been referring to Sam; everyone except the man himself.

 

Ruby and Lucifer were shooting positively menacing looks at Sam.  However, Castiel noticed that his friend didn’t seem to realize what was going on—he was staring after Billie, confusion evident on his face.  It was a familiar sensation for Cas. Once again, his friend was wholly unaware of his immense appeal.

 

Even when they were young, there had always been _something,_ in Castiel’s opinion, that drew people to Sam. His friend just couldn’t see it.  Now that Sam had toned his muscles and grown into his shoulders, embodying just about every person’s fantasy, combined with his caring nature—Sam still thought he was unworthy. The idea actually made Cas incredibly depressed.  He wished that Sam could see himself the way that he or Dean did—the way that _Gabriel_ so clearly envisioned him.

 

From the corner of his eye, Cas saw Rowena darting forward. She whispered something quickly into Crowley’s ear before stepping back to her usual spot. Crowley shook his head, as though clearing cobwebs, before striding down the table, dragging Gabriel with him.  “Since Billie has elected to remove herself from play,” Crowley recovered quickly. “The prize of immunity and a private date at the Treasure Fest, will go to our second place winner—Sam!”

 

Sam actually started, blinking up at both Crowley and Gabriel, as though he wasn’t fully registering the words.  Cas watched as Dean clapped a hand on Sam’s shoulder and said, “Congrats, dude.”

 

“Yes, anyway,” Crowley rolled his eyes at Sam’s stunned expression. “You all have the rest of the day free, unless you’ve made previous plans with Gabriel.”  In a complete deadpan, Crowley said, “yippie,” and walked away, Rowena hurrying after him.

 

Cas saw it, right before it happened, the moment where Sam and Gabriel locked eyes. Sam looked somewhat shocked, with the barest amount of excitement underneath. Gabriel was smirking down at the taller man, his eyes glinting with mirth, as though he’d been presented with an unexpected dessert. It was electric—even through the camera lens—-and Cas managed to get it all on film!

 

What he didn’t see, was Lucifer and Ruby leaning together, their eyes hard, as they whispered, plotted, and scowled at the two men in the spotlight.  In fact, _no one_ saw the duo, even as they left together. Something unpleasant was coming, but for that moment, all Cas could see was hope.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruby sucks.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas need to get a room.  
> Ruby is pushy.  
> Benny is the best.  
> And Gabriel is getting suspicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary of Rowena Slang: Muckle means “large”, whereas, “pie” is used as a general derogatory word (example: "Yer a pie").

Dean knew with absolute certainty that this was a terrible idea, but he couldn’t turn Castiel down when hit with those big blue eyes.  There were stationary cameras placed all around the ranch to catch people in situations such as this. However, they were designed to capture moments between the remaining contestants and Gabriel— _not_ Gabe’s adorably sexy younger brother.  

 

Due to the underwater light, the swimming pool was shimmering an electric blue color that reminded Dean of Cas’ eyes.  The world around them was pitch black, the only light coming from the huge lamp underneath the surface. From Dean’s angle on the edge of the pool, he could see the shadow of Castiel’s naked body, as he swam powerfully through the water.  “Are you joining me, Dean? Or is this a futile exercise on my behalf?”

 

Watching Cas’ nude muscular frame slide through the water, Dean made up his mind. Cas was a camera operator for the show, so it made sense that he knew if they were being recorded. If Cas wasn’t concerned, then Dean wasn’t going to be worried either.  He was toeing off his boots and unzipping his jeans within moments, eyes fixed on Castiel.

 

Cas was treading water now, turned to look up at Dean from where he was bobbing in the deep end of the pool.  As he tossed the rest of his clothing somewhere behind him, Dean’s eyes never left Castiel’s face. “I’m not a very patient man, Dean,” Cas said, watching Dean walk around the side of the pool.

 

He could feel Cas’ eyes on his ass, so he made sure to give his hips a little shake before turning around and descending the metal ladder into the water.  “I’m learning that,” Dean responded. “You know that we could get caught like this, right?”

 

“We won’t be disturbed,” Cas’ voice was absolute.

 

The water was chilled from the night air, and Dean’s entire body shivered as he sank into the pool.  It had been a long time since Dean had skinny dipped, and he clung to the ladder for a moment before twisting his body to face Castiel.  He gasped when he realized that Cas had swum up behind him without him noticing. The other man was kicking his feet, his bare chest almost brushing Dean’s.  “Hello, Dean.”

 

“Jesus, Cas!” Dean caught his breath.  “Warn a guy next time.”

 

“My apologies,” Cas said, sounding anything but sorry.  He even pushed himself closer to Dean in the water, backing Dean against the side of the pool.  He bent his head, sliding his lips over Dean’s mouth, drawing a moan. “You made me wait,” Cas murmured. “You were also being rather obvious earlier with the winking.  Kevin might have noticed.”

 

Dean scoffed. “Even if he did, he isn’t going to tattle. Kid’s scared of his own shadow.”

 

“Dean,” Cas tried.

 

Not wanting to hear the lecture, Dean presses his lips to Cas’ silencing his lover.  “If you’re really so upset then, Angel—you should make me pay,” Dean teased between kisses.

 

Castiel grunted, moving Dean along the wall of the pool toward the shallow area. The bottom of the pool sloped downward and once their feet could touch the bottom, Cas stopped, pinning Dean to the edge once more. “Close your legs, Dean,” Cas said deeply.

 

He gulped at the harsh tone. Cas was so fucking hot like this. Without a word, Dean obeyed, slamming his thighs together. He was already rock hard and he wondered what Cas had in mind.  Dean’s eyes fluttered shut, and his head tilted back as Castiel licked along his jaw. His nerves felt as though they were on fire. Dean moaned lightly, trying to coax Cas into touching him more intimately.

 

In response, Cas thrust his hips harshly, pushing his own thick cock between Dean’s thighs.  “Don’t move, Dean,” Cas instructed, rutting himself between Dean’s legs.

 

“Cas,” Dean begged. He wanted those beautiful hands wrapped around his dick. But Castiel didn’t seem inclined to pleasure Dean at all. Biting back a groan, Dean tried to reach his own hand down to grip himself, but Cas quickly snatched his wrist, pulling it away.

 

“No,” Cas bit out roughly as he continued to thrust against Dean. “If you’re going to risk exposing us in such a manner than you don’t get to come tonight.”

 

Dean’s mouth fell open.  Despite the threat, he was finding that Cas’ words were even hotter than expected. He was going to be used like a personal Castiel Novak sex toy for his disobedience and Dean thought it was incredibly sexy. “Holy shit, Cas!”

 

Castiel released his wrist and kissed him harshly, grinding his hips. Dean was so incredibly hard. He felt like a high schooler again, just mindlessly making out, grinding his body into another’s pelvis. He wanted to come so badly, even without physical stimulation, but he knew Cas would be disappointed.  He had to hold back.

 

He could feel the heat of Cas’ thick cock pulsing between his legs, offset by the cool water surrounding them.  “I’m close, Dean,” Cas said into his ear. “You’re being _so_ good for me.”

 

Dean groaned loudly and allowed Cas to rut against him.  “You better keep it down, brother, or someone might hear y’all.”

 

Both Dean and Cas froze in abject horror.

 

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Dean muttered, twisting and craning his neck.  “Dude!”

 

Benny was sitting on a bamboo lounge chair behind them, his elbows on his knees and a twisted grin on his face.  “You’re surprised that someone walked in on your little aquatic tryst when you’re in a _very_ public area of the ranch?  It’s not like I had a door to knock on, brother.”  

 

Dean’s face was heated as he listened to Benny laugh.  That was when he felt the rumbles coming from Cas. Despite being denied an orgasm, Castiel was doing his best to hide a chuckle at the situation.  “This is funny to you?” Dean was incredulous. He was doing everything he could to not cover his nudity in the presence of their friend.

 

“It is rather humorous,” Castiel finally admitted.  

 

“Nothing about this is funny!” Dean’s voice cracked, causing his blush to deepen, as Castiel and Benny broke into genuine laughter.

 

Grumbling as he pushed his way under Cas’ arms, Dean moved through the water, his toes eventually finding full purchase on the ground. He stomped his way to the stairs, water splashing around his waist as he left Cas behind.  At this point, Dean felt humiliated enough that he didn’t think he could sink any lower; so who cared if Benny saw his junk now?

 

He exited the pool and walked over to the large rattan cabana that held a plethora of large, fluffy towels for the guests. Trying to seem as though he was totally unselfconscious, Dean selected one and wrapped it around his waist. Once remotely covered, he fixed Benny with a look and moved toward his friend. By the time Dean had sunk down into the chair next to Benny, Cas was out of the water and donning a towel as well.

 

Benny waited until Castiel joined them, sliding on to the lounger behind Dean. Both men looked at Cas in confusion for a moment, but he simply settled in, seemingly unaware that he was encroaching on Dean’s personal space. Honestly, Dean couldn’t find it in him to care. He enjoyed being close to Castiel.  As the time passed, he found that he was less embarrassed by the entire situation. “So? What’s up, Benny?”

 

“I came looking for you to see if we can brainstorm on how to get your thickheaded brothers together,” Benny explained. “I ran into Kevin in the kitchens and he mentioned seeing y’all come out this way.  You’re lucky it was me what found you.”

 

“Yeah,” Dean grumbled. He knew that Benny spoke the truth.  “Thanks man, I guess.”

 

“We need to find a way to get them alone together,” Benny said, rubbing his jaw.

 

“They’ll be alone on their date to the Treasure Fest,” Castiel said.

 

“Yeah, but that’s not for a few days,” Dean reminded him.  “We need to throw them together before then so that the date to the Festival ends with a _bang_ , so to speak.”

 

Cas nodded solemnly. “Yes, I do believe the event culminates with fireworks.”

 

“No, Cas,” Dean sighed as Benny chuckled next to them. “You know what—never mind.”  He turned to Benny, “Got any bright ideas?”

 

“Not for our love birds per se,” Benny said. “But we should probably help Balthazar find his way home—and soon.  You don’t want to risk fighting with him again, and he needs to _leave_.”

 

Dean’s jaw was set. “Yeah.”

 

“Yes,” Cas tilted his head. “What _was_ that all about?”

 

“The prick insulted Sammy,” Dean grit his teeth. “I wasn’t going to stand for that.”

 

“He was also a major asshole to Dean,” Benny added, his mouth set in a thin line.  “Those comments about you being in the military were out of line. I’d have punched the grin off his face myself if you hadn’t beat me to it.”  Benny grimaced. “I’ve heard enough myself that I just don’t stand for it anymore.”

 

“You were in?” Dean asked.

 

“Navy. Four years,” Benny said.

 

Dean nodded and the two men bumped their fists together, which made Cas look at them oddly.  “We can’t do anything too underhanded,” Castiel said, the picture of morality.

 

“Why not?  Dude’s a prick,” Dean grumbled. Castiel fixed him with a look and Dean rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he acquiesced. “Okay, Ben Linus, how are we going to _nicely_ manipulate everyone around us?”

 

“Who?” Castiel looked utterly confused.

 

Dean gaped. “You’ve never seen _Lost_?  What have you been doing with your life, Cas?”

 

Benny hummed. “What did you think about the end where they all—“ He was cut off by Dean slapping his hand over Benny’s mouth.

 

“Shhh!” Dean hissed. “Don’t spoil it for him!”

 

“I don’t watch much television,” Cas confessed.

 

“Yeah, we’re gonna fix that,” Dean insisted, letting go of Benny. He eyed his friend and pointed a finger near Benny’s eye. “Not a word. He has to watch it himself.”

 

“I have heard a few things about the show,” Cas said.

 

“This is not important right now,” Dean spoke over him. “TV Shows later—right now we have to remove Balthazar—and that Lucifer asshole too— _and_ help Sam and Gabriel get out of their own way.”

 

“It would be best if they were slightly undressed,” Cas suggested.

 

“What?” Dean wrinkled his nose.

 

“My brother enjoys looking at yours,” Castiel said patiently. “Perhaps if we got them to accidentally see one another in the shower or the pool,” he gestured to the water in front of them. “Alone.”

 

Something about Cas’ tone was slightly creepy and Dean shuddered. “Don’t make it sound like this is a damn horror movie, Cas.”  He tried to chuckle. “If Gabe is a psycho killer, then we have a problem,” Dean joked.

 

“My brother is not—“

 

“I got it,” Benny broke in, grinning. “I know what we can do.  But you two,” he pointed at them, “need to lay low and let me take point. It will look less suspicious coming from me.”

 

“He has a point,” Cas admitted.  “Gabriel would be suspicious of me.”

 

Dean couldn’t help but agree. If he suggested to Sam that he go for a midnight swim or something with Gabriel, he might actually get punched in the face. “What did you have in mind?”

 

All three men leaned toward one another as Benny grinned with flashing teeth.

 

  Xx xXx xX

 

Digging into the large mixing bowl in his arms, Gabriel lifted the spoon to his mouth and let out an audible groan as his taste buds exploded around the cake batter that he’d procured.  The staff who prepared their meals at the ranch did their best to keep him out of the kitchen unless there was a specific reason, such as his date with Benny a few days prior. They knew that he’d find a way into the pantry, and they’d been correct.

 

It hadn’t taken long for Gabriel to come across an expired box of funfetti cake mix tucked behind the oatmeal and almond flour near the back of the shelf. The single egg and half a cup of oil had been even easier to find. Gabe had happily mixed up the batter and grabbed a soup spoon, heading back to his room with the intention of watching some Netflix and brainstorming how to woo Sam during their date to the Treasure Fest.

 

Turning the corner, Gabe had just lifted the spoon to his mouth when he crashed into someone, splattering himself with raw cake. For a moment, he wondered why someone would be hovering in his hallway; but all rational thought flew from his mind when he finally took in the sight before him. Ruby was standing in front of him, holding a gigantic jawbreaker to her lips, and wearing a see-through nightie.

 

Gabriel had to physically blink his eyes to take in and process what he was seeing.  Sheer, red mesh covered her important bits, but still allowing one to see _everything_. Large black ribbons wove through the cherry stain of the lingerie, giving the illusion that she was almost bound. A hint of a ruffle, grazed the very top of her thighs, hinting at so much.  

 

The first thing that crossed his mind, was that Sam would look so much better in that getup. The idea made his brain short-circuit and Gabriel actually forgot that he was holding a bowl full of dough and picturing a tall muscular man in place of the delicate young lady in front of him. _‘Sam.’_ Gabe actually felt his mouth go dry and his words disappear. He wasn’t expecting this.

 

For a moment, he simply stared.  The vision of all that pale skin wrapped up tightly in a sinful, scarlet package.  The large round candy was hovering near her blood-red lips which were forming a round shape of surprise.  Gabe wondered if he could convince Sam to suck on a jawbreaker sometime. “You almost made me swallow,” Ruby said, shocking Gabriel from his own thoughts.

 

He blinked, and made a confused sound. Ruby giggled at him, which he usually found annoying, but for some reason he was totally distracted.  She was definitely a beautiful woman, but for the first time that he could recall, Gabriel wasn’t distracted by the swell of her breasts in her sheer nightgown.  “Um,” he managed. “Sorry?”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ruby smiled at him. She gave a rather lewd lick to the round candy in her fingers as she made eye-contact with him.  “So?” Ruby smiled, flashing some teeth. “Care to join me for some dessert?”

 

Gabe didn’t respond. He was still busy picturing Sam in some sheer little nightie.  He’d even managed to forget the bowl of batter in his hands. Ruby’s eyes narrowed for a split second in irritation before she grinned playfully at him once more.  “You seem like a man who enjoys his sweets along with his...sour.”

 

Before Gabe could react, Ruby was in his space. She had her small body pressed into him, her eyes lidded, and that damn jawbreaker between them. She was rolling the candy across Gabriel’s lips, and all he could do was blink in surprise.  “I’m sure we could find a way to _enjoy_ ourselves, _Gabriel_.”

 

She practically purred, and Gabe found himself hating the sound of his own name for the first time. He reached up and smacked the jawbreaker away.  It flew from her hands and clattered onto the floor of the hallway, a few pieces breaking off, their shards decorating the wooden floor beneath them.  Ruby’s eyes narrowed in fury and she parted her glistening lips to speak.

 

“I know you didn’t disobey me and make that damn box mix cake, brother.”

 

Gabriel snapped his eyes up and saw Benny leaning against the opposite wall, hands crossed over his chest, watching them.  He could see the friendly set to Benny’s features, but the hardness around his eyes gave everything away. Benny knew that he was uncomfortable, and Gabe was more grateful than he could express.  

 

He shimmied a bit, moving away from Ruby, which was difficult, since she had almost plastered him to the wall.  Holding up the large bowl, he flashed the contents at Benny with a sheepish look. “You caught me,” Gabe said. He tried to inject enough playfulness into his tone that any hidden cameras might not be able to tell how incredibly pissed off he actually was.   _He_ was the aggressor in this game, _not_ the contestants.  And for that matter, the only one of them that he had any real interest in, was the slipperiest of them all--freaking _Sam._  He was infuriated that he had been surprised and accosted in such a manner.  Especially from Ruby.

 

Sure, he’d flirted with her before--just that afternoon, in fact.  But Gabriel had never really registered any sort of reciprocation from her in terms of affection.  He couldn’t fault her--there were going to be at least a percentage of contestants who were there for reasons besides love.  Fame, money, exposure--whatever. He had certainly picked up on the vibes between her and Luke?--Lucas?--Lucifer?--ugh. They had been down for a little group playtime.  For a split second, Gabriel had considered it. But then he’d met Sam’s eyes and any thought of joining those two deviants had flown out the window. He honestly hadn’t pegged Ruby as the type to keep trying.  That was slightly disturbing, and he told himself to keep an eye on her.

 

“I told you that I’d teach you to make a real King Cake,” Benny said.  “It’s just not the right time of year, and I’d feel like an asshole doing it when it’s not the season.”

 

Gabriel slid along the wall, attempting to extract himself from Ruby’s clutches.  “You could still describe it to me,” he said, trying to sound as filthy as possible.  He wasn’t sure if any cameras were around, and he also wanted to make certain to Ruby that nothing would ever progress beyond flirting.

 

He finally broke free, ignoring her murderous gaze and moved next to Benny.  The large man threw his arm around Gabe’s shoulder and grinned down at him. “Not at all, brother,” he said.  “I’m happy to explain all of the flavors that go into the greatest celebratory dessert of all time.” Benny looked up at Ruby, seemingly unaffected by her state of undress.  “Would you care to join us, chère?”

 

Ruby made a garbled sound between a grunt and a scream before turning away and almost sprinting down the hallway.  Benny let go of Gabriel and looked down at him. “You looked like you were either going to kiss her, or punch her--and I doubt you would have been happy with either choice, brother.”

 

Letting out a sigh that he didn’t know he had been holding, Gabriel’s whole body slumped.  “You’re right,” he confessed. “The fucking nipples distracted me for a second and then...” Gabe stopped.  He looked up at Benny as innocently as he could muster. “You don’t want to know what I thought after that.”

 

“You’re right,” Benny said.  “I don’t.” He reached down and grabbed the bowl of cake batter from Gabriel’s hands.  “This is disgraceful.”

 

“I’m aware,” Gabe said.  He reached out, trying to grab the bowl once more.  Benny narrowed his eyes and lifted it up in the air with one hand.  Gabe’s mouth dropped open. “I thought we were friends!”

 

“We are,” Benny said.  “Which is why I’m not letting you eat boxed cake batter like a heathen.”  He lowered the bowl, but kept it out of Gabriel’s reach. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your room.”

 

Feeling stupid, and a little weird, Gabe gave in.  He slumped his shoulders and stuck out his lip in a pretend pout.  “Fine,” he said grumpily as they moved down the hallway together. “But you had better tell me all about these precious cajun desserts that you keep tempting me with.”

 

“Deal,” Benny smiled.

 

  Xx xXx xX

 

After their late night plotting session, Castiel reluctantly left Dean in the company of Benny and slunk back to his room in the crew quarters.  The Southern chef promised to get Dean safely to their room, and Castiel was going to hold him to it. He was annoyed that their time together had been interrupted, but Cas knew that Benny was correct— _anyone_ could have seen them. Castiel didn’t know what had come over him to act so recklessly; he chalked it up to being so entirely captivated by everything Dean Winchester.

 

Cas spent a restless night, consumed by thoughts of pouting pink lips and the feel of Dean’s body against his throbbing cock. He woke up with a hard on and a headache. Perfect.

 

He rolled out of his bed, barely sparing a glance for a yawning Kevin as he pulled on his clothes and readied himself for the day.  Unlike the contestants, Castiel was fully aware of what they were going to face that morning, and he was dreading it. He’d never been a fan of outdoor activities and he ranked fishing right up at the top. He honestly didn’t know how the show runners had talked Gabriel into going along with it; his brother was definitely more into creature comforts rather than roughing it in the woods.

 

He and Kevin, along with one of the interns, would be carrying small handheld cameras as the group hiked to the predetermined spot along the river.  Once there, a few stationary devices had been placed, mounted to the trees, in order to catch the contestants unawares. At least the majority of the sound equipment had been trucked up there earlier. Cas would have pitched a fit if he had to carry a bunch of heavy paraphernalia along with hiking through the outdoors.

 

Cas left his room, and a bleary-eyed Kevin to run down to the dining room in an attempt to grab some food before anyone else was awake.  Much to his surprise, he found the dining room to be empty, save for one person. Sam was sitting at the table, picking at a plate laden with fresh fruits and a few hard-boiled eggs. He looked horrible, and Cas felt a rush of concern for his friend.

 

“Good morning, Sam,” Cas said as he began to grab a few things off of the buffet.

 

“Hey Cas,” Sam was eyeing one of the eggs as though he was debating even tasting it. “Any idea what torture we’re being subjected to today?  I know it’s a group date again.”

 

Castiel carried his full plate, containing mostly bacon, and a bagel, to the table and took the seat opposite of Sam. “I’m not supposed to say.”

 

“I figured,” Sam replied. He ducked his head and began spearing various fruit with his fork.

 

He seemed ready to let the subject drop, but something about Sam’s face pulled at Castiel and he found himself continuing.  “Fly fishing,” Cas said, rather glumly.

 

Sam’s mouth dropped. “Are you serious?”

 

Castiel shook his head.  “We’re to hike about a mile to a spot along the river that runs through the property. Everything is set up for picnics and fishing.”

 

“Cas,” Sam’s voice was choked and his face was white. “I can’t go fucking _fishing_ with your brother!”

 

Confused, he found himself blinking at his friend. Why would Sam be so against an activity?  He knew that Sam enjoyed some outdoor activities such as rock climbing and kayaking; surely fishing wouldn’t be all that different?  Perhaps Sam, with his love of animals was opposed to the idea of capturing creatures for sport? _‘Fish,’_ Castiel thought.

 

It hit Cas like a freight train as soon as the word crossed his mind.  His eyes blew wide with realization and alarm. “Sam,” he whispered.

 

Neither of them noticed that they were no longer alone until the rough sounds of a Scottish brogue came from the head of the table. “I do hope you’re not planning on leaving us today, Samuel?  Especially not after promising to attend _all_ events required?  I’m sure you don’t have such poor manners, you muckle pie?”

 

They both turned to face Rowena and gulped. She was leaning forward, her palms flat on the table and a rather inappropriate sparkling evening gown clinging to her petite form. The usual lilting accent was gone, and her voice was unforgiving as she eyed Sam.  Castiel honestly had no idea what she was saying, and he was certain that Sam was just as lost; but Rowena’s tone was unmistakable.

 

Guilt rose in Cas as Sam set his jaw and forced a half smile. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

 

“Excellent.”  She busied herself by grabbing a handful of grapes before sashaying out of the room. More contestants trickled in as she left, putting an end to any conversation between himself and Sam. Unable to decide what to do that would ease the tension, Cas immediately stood and left the room, unable to face his friend’s fallen expression.

 

He went in search of Dean. However, only Benny was in their room, and Cas ended up heading back the way he came, wondering what he was going to do.  He needed to find a way to inform Dean about what Sam may be going through. He wasn’t sure if Dean knew about the terrible prank from their childhood, but Castiel was sure that Sam was thinking of nothing else at the moment.

 

He was mere seconds away from the dining room when the loudspeaker system built into the ranch announced that everyone was required out on the back deck. Castiel’s entire body slumped as he realized that he wasn’t going to make it.  He would have to take his position, at the risk of losing his job, and simply _pray_ that Sam and Dean connected. If Sam opened up, then Cas knew that Dean would stop at nothing to protect his little brother.

 

His entire body felt cold, and his face went blank, as Cas trudged outside and took his place on the edge of the scene.  Kevin was shifting in his toes next to him, camera already in hand. Castiel accepted his own recording device and began to check all of his settings. There was nothing he could do now.  He scanned the equipment table in front of him and made sure to grab a few extra battery packs.

 

Tucking them away into the pockets of his bag, Castiel glanced up just in time to see Sam and Dean walk out onto the patio.  The brothers were standing close to one another and even from a distance, Cas could see how stiff and uncomfortable Sam looked. Next to him, Dean was speaking, though the dialogue was lost to Castiel, and he saw that the elder Winchester even reached up to pat Sam on the shoulder a few times.  He felt sick and helpless, but Cas hoped that things weren’t going to end as poorly as he was predicting.

 

He knew that the stationary mounts would pick up many of the angles, but Cas still stepped into place and took aim with his own camera.  He made sure to focus and linger on every face available to him, but his lens kept drifting back toward the Winchesters.

 

Sam’s complexion was still ghostly, while Dean seemed to be shifting on the balls of his feet and occasionally glancing nervously up toward his brother’s face.  Cas was just far enough away that he couldn’t quite make out what they were saying to one another; although he _knew_ there would definitely be a microphone somewhere picking up their every word.  

 

Rowena might gush about participant’s rights, but she didn’t know the meaning of privacy. Despite what the various men and women playing might think, they were alone in the bathroom, and not much else.  Castiel had taken great pains to make sure that he and Dean had been out of the reach of the prying eyes of the studio whenever he could. Apparently he had done a bang up job this far since they hadn’t been caught.

 

Tuning out the noise, Cas tried to center himself on what he was filming. The slight nuances of someone’s mouth, or a tick of the eye. He could vaguely hear Crowley explaining that there would be a ‘mild hike’ followed by groans until it was announced that food and drink would be available once they reached their destination. Castiel narrowed his eyes as he trained his camera on Balthazar.  

 

He managed to catch a few words as the smarmy blonde leaned into Lisa’s side and mentioned mimosas. They giggled together and Cas refrained from rolling his eyes.  He hoped there wouldn’t be alcohol involved, but he knew the thought was pointless. Crowley and Rowena had one job—to sell the shit out of this show. What better way than to get people drunk in the woods and stir up tension while throwing in some sharp fish hooks.

 

Through his wireless headset, Castiel heard where his coworkers were aiming their own shots and he adjusted accordingly.  For better or worse, he ended up focusing on Sam. His friend still looked pallid and sick, fidgeting and running his tongue along his teeth.  

 

Cas was so consumed by Sam that he almost missed it. In the corner of his shot he could see his brother, hovering next to Crowley. Anyone else would have taken one look and declared Gabriel Novak to be fully in control—happy and excited about the event ahead of them. Cas knew better. His brother was freaking out.

 

It was subtle, which was unusual for Gabriel, but it was evident—at least to Cas, who had grown up watching it happen.  Gabriel was a master of his emotions. He could turn things on and off like flicking a switch. It was part of what made him such a good surgeon—nothing seemed to faze him. But Castiel had a lifetime’s worth of knowledge, and despite the cool and playful exterior that his brother was projecting, Cas could see the sweat beneath the sheen of confidence. Gabriel was nervous about something and Castiel shuddered to think what it could be.

 

He spared a glance around, trying to see if anything stood out.  Of course, Dean captured his attention right away. He managed to pull his focus away, taking in Sam’s pallid features, Benny laughing at something Crowley had said, Lisa’s lips twisting as she displayed her displeasure.  He also noticed that Lucifer and that Ruby girl were standing almost too close, both of their eyes slits and their features tense. He was going to have to try and pay attention to that. Something about those two rubbed Cas the wrong way, but he wasn’t quite sure what exactly it was.

 

When Kevin tugged on his sleeve, Cas was honestly surprised.  He hadn’t realized that they were leaving already. Most of the contestants had filed out.  Some grumbling like Balthazar, while others looked excited, such as Lisa. He fell into line a few people after Kevin, relieved that he was taking up the rear.  

 

At least...he was relieved until his brother fell into step beside him and Cas glanced up noticing the Winchester brothers were about ten feet in front of them with _nobody_ in between.  Fantastic. He was _sure_ that Gabriel would never say _anything_ horrifying in a situation such as this.  They had just entered the woods on the edges of the house, following the game trail into the trees when Castiel’s whole world imploded.

 

“So I’m planning on banging the little one,” Gabe began.  “And by ‘little,’ I mean the younger one. You’re more than welcome to Dean.”

 

Cas’ eyes closed.  What the fuck. Really?  “Gabriel,” he said. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at,” he began.

 

“Not much,” his brother interrupted him.  “Just letting you know that I’ve called ‘dibs.’  And also that I’m aware that you have too.”

 

The world _stopped._ Castiel actually felt as though everything had fallen onto its axis and he heaved a breath, clutching his chest and almost dropping his camera.  “Easy baby bro,” Gabriel slapped him between the shoulder blades. “Breathe.”

 

He tried to gather himself.  He knew that he was going to have to say something...at some point in time.  But nothing came. It had been ages. Cas finally sucked in a breath, the air hissing through his teeth, his eyes bugging out.  “Fuck,” Gabe said, conversationally. “You good?”

 

“What is wrong with you,” Castiel finally managed to hiss through his incisors.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“Sure,” Gabe smiled like a fucking predator and patted his back again condescedingly.  “You absolutely haven’t been doing the do with that green-eyed Chippendale.”

 

Castiel choked.  “How did you know that?”  His entire being was dying.  He felt as though his insides were molten lava and something was about to explode.  He and Dean had been so careful, so fastidious. He’d tried. He had done everything to make sure that they hadn’t been caught.

 

Gabriel tilted his head and gasped.  “Holy fuck!”

 

“What?” Cas glanced around them, hoping that nothing else horrifying was about to befall him.

 

“You totally fucked him!”

 

“Who?”

 

“Dean!”

 

Cas blinked.  Wasn’t this what they were talking about.  “Yes?” he said in confusion.

 

“I was just _fucking_ with you, bro!” Gabriel’s mirth echoed, and Cas tried to shrink in on himself, hoping that this was not being recorded.  Thankfully, the closest people to them were the Winchesters themselves, who seemed rather engrossed in a conversation of their own.  “Are you serious? Are you aggressively cuddling with Dean?” Castiel narrowed his eyes as he regarded his older brother. Gabriel giggled.  Actually _giggled._  “Shaboinking?  Plowing the field?  Knocking boots? Peeling your banana?  Tapping that ass?”

 

“Okay!” Cas snapped as he finally registered what his brother was implying.  “Shut up!”

 

“Now,” Gabe rubbed his chin.  “Does he batter dip _his_ corn dog?  Or do you put _your_ banana in _his_ fruit salad?”

 

“I fucking hate you,” Cas hissed.

 

“You’re so cute when you get angry,” Gabriel smiled at him.

 

“Are you two...all right?”

 

The Novaks turned as one and looked up... _way_ up.  Sam was looking down at both of them in concern.  Dean was next to him, arms crossed over his chest, the flannel bunching out over his biceps and Cas stared at the man’s arms for almost a full minute.  “Great. Peachy, in fact,” Gabriel spoke up.

 

“Cas?”  Sam looked at him with those ridiculous puppy eyes and Cas actually had to look away and think of upsetting things.  Not for the usual reason. He could never consider Sam Winchester as a paramour! That would be--Cas actually heaved and covered his mouth quickly.

 

When he looked up, all three of them were watching him and he could see the rest of the group ahead of them beginning to slow.  “I’m fine,” he managed.

 

Dean looked skeptical, but thankfully remained silent.  Unfortunately, Gabriel didn’t. “Cas, huh? You know my baby bro, Samshine?” Gabriel’s eyes were slits and he looked irritated.

 

Sam sucked in a breath, but suddenly turned and walked away without a word.  Dean glared at them both for a beat before following his brother. A sharp hiss of air released from Cas’ mouth.  He hadn’t even realized that he’d been holding his breath. At least they were gone. He was alone with Gabriel once more, and Cas couldn’t tell if it was a good thing, or not--but it was a true relief that there were no Winchesters around.

 

A low whistle assaulted his ears and Cas tripped over a root in the path.  He glared at Gabriel as he righted his camera, trying to get some usable footage.  “Didn’t think you had it in you,” Gabe said. “Fucking the help.”

 

He stopped in his tracks.  Gabriel walked a few paces in front of him before turning around, one eyebrow raised.  “What did you say?” Cas asked, lowly.

 

His older brother shrugged, his eyes darting down to make sure that Cas’ camera was pointed at the ground.  “You heard me,” he said simply. “These are all _my_ playthings,” Gabriel smiled.  “But you decided to dirty one up.”

 

Everything in Cas’ mind went blank.  For the first time that he could remember, he wanted to actually _hurt_ his brother.  Sounds were rushing around him, like a freight train.  One of his hands gripped his camera, while the other slapped against his ear, his eyes scrunching shut.  He had no idea how long he was standing, stock still, in the middle of a hiking trail, before Gabriel’s lips parted in a sly grin.  “You should see your face,” he said.

 

Cas blinked.  He might not be on top of some of the more intricate nuances of human nature--but he knew his brother.  “Why do you torment me this way?”

 

“Because I have nothing better to do,” Gabe said.

 

After a quick suck of air and a grumble under his breath, they continued on their way.  Cas hefted the camera up, focusing in on the Winchesters in front of them. He touched a button, knowing it by feel.  The lens shifted and focused, zooming in on Dean’s pert little ass. “You’re not fooling anyone,” Gabe said next to him.

 

“Neither are you,” Castel sighed.  His brother was something...else. _He_ knew how to handle Gabriel, but he wasn’t sure that anyone else would be up to the challenge.  The only person that had ever come close was Sam.

 

Cas allowed himself a moment of reflection.  His eyelids fluttered closed and he could almost believe that he was there…

 

_“Hey, kiddo!” Gabriel bounded into Castiel’s bedroom, flopping on the bed and inadvertently shoving half of their biology notes to the floor._

 

_“Gabriel,” Cas snapped in exasperation._

 

_Next to him, Sam chuckled indulgently.  “You know that we need those, right?” The taller boy pointed toward the floor where their notes lay scattered on the carpet._

 

_“What do you need more, Samshine?  Your precious notes? Or me?” Gabe grinned at them both upside down from his position on the bed. Even from where he sat, squished at the head of the bed, Cas could see that Gabriel only had eyes for Sam Winchester.  “I can quiz you,” Gabe offered. “I’ll even take off an article of clothing whenever you’re right.” Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows obscenely._

 

_There was an almost horrifically awkward pause, where Castiel watched his new best friend and his annoying older brother gaze longingly at one another.  “Go away,” Castiel said finally, breaking the spell. “We’re busy Gabriel.”_

 

_There was a single, charged, silent moment before Gabe jumped off of his bed and sauntered toward the door.  “One of these days, Cassie,” Gabriel shook his head. “You’ll figure out what the word ‘cockblock’ means.”_

 

_Next to him, Sam’s face flushed like a tomato, his shoulders hunched and he began to flick through the pages of their text book rapidly.  “Leave,” Cas said firmly._

 

_“Fine,” Gabriel shrugged. He grabbed the door handle to Cas’ room. Just as the latch was about to click, Gabe stuck his face back into the room.  “You know who to come to when you’re serious about studying, Sammich,” Gabe winked. “Especially biology.”_

 

_Before Castiel could gripe once more about his obnoxious sibling, the door blessedly closed. He looked over, surprised to see the tingle of pink and slight sheen of sweat on Sam’s brow.  In an attempt to pull their focus back to their study guide, Castiel looked at Sam and said, “What are the main parts of the penis?”_

 

_“Hard, Harder, and Fuck You Into Next Week,” came Gabriel’s voice from the other side of the door._

 

_Castiel rolled his eyes and wished that his annoying sibling would disappear. However, Sam stifled a laugh, shaking his head, dimples visible before he composed himself.  “Corpus cavernosum,” Sam finally answered. “Corpus spongiosum, urethra and glans…”_

 

“...Freakiest fucking thing,” Gabriel was saying.

 

Cas stared at his brother. He honestly had no idea what they were talking about.  “Sorry?” He managed.

 

Gabe’s eyes flashed.  “I was saying,” he said. “That Sammoose up there is so fucking familiar, and I don’t know why.”

 

“He does look familiar,” Cas decided to indulge himself. He had vowed to never get involved with Gabriel’s love life directly, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be an absolute shit about it.  “Someone you knew maybe?” Castiel pressed, trying to keep the mirth from his eyes. “Med school or something. You always were popular in school."

 

Gabriel hummed in thought. “Maybe. It’s right there in the back of my mind. I know that giant moose from somewhere, just can’t put my finger on it.” He ran a hand through his fluffy hair and grunted in annoyance. “It’s like a song you get stuck in your head and it refuses to leave.”

 

Cas nodded, wishing he could just spill the beans. “Just think on it Gabriel. It might come to you. You know the saying, once you stop trying to remember it’ll come to you.”

 

Gabriel’s golden eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at his baby brother. “It just might Cas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Benny being in the Navy stems from the whole ‘Vampirates’ thing. 🤣😂


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci and Ruby are up to no good.  
> Gabriel is playing with fire...and apparently fish.  
> Sam is (shockingly) still angry.  
> Dean and Cas get kinky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so sorry that it's been two months for this update. Please have this 10k chapter as an apology!!
> 
> This chapter is NSFW.
> 
> WARNING: Minor (not super graphic) Character Injury!!

It had taken countless hours, a grueling workload, and a healthy dose of ego—but Lucifer Vincente had finally made something of himself.  He might have grown up with a deadbeat dad who didn’t believe in his dreams, and obviously shitty taste in baby names, but he was on top now.  He wasn’t _just_ the most sought after designer in Miami—he was revered all over the country, for fuck’s sake!  Well, all the way to Orlando, at least.  

 

He had more clients than he possibly knew what to do with, _on top_ of his charitable works.  Everyone in the Sunshine State wanted a piece of him!  Now, with his appearance on a popular reality show—he’d have the world at his feet, where it belonged.  And he was going to make sure that he was the last man standing. By any means necessary. 

 

Before agreeing to join _The One_ , Lucifer had even been approached to possibly help out on a few home improvement shows as well.  Local—but it was something. He was successful! He was hot! He was worthy! He was _better_ than everyone here!  

 

He was _pissed_ about going on a hike that would end in fishing!

 

Lucifer wasn’t very outdoorsy. Sure, he’d golf on occasion with some of his clients, but that was about all.  Gritting his teeth as he slipped over a tree root in his patent leather Hugo Boss loafers, he fought the urge to swear. The damn dress shoes had been on sale for just under three hundred, and they were the most ‘common’ shoes that he’d brought along.  Internally, he cursed himself for not foreseeing that casual wear might be useful on a ranch--he’d come dressed to impress, and now he had fucking blisters. Lucifer was beginning to regret every step, as well as the purchase of said shoes, and perhaps even his birth.  The pain was exquisite. He glanced back down the line of hikers at those damn flannel-clad Winchesters! Of _course_ some blue collar losers such as them had brought proper boots.  Assholes. 

 

The pause that he took gave Ruby enough time to slide next to him, her delicate arm, slipping into his own.  The touch was enough to pull his focus. “Walk with me?” Her words sounded innocent enough, but the tight grip on his forearm and the darkness in her eyes told a different story.

 

A few steps were taken in silence, Lucifer doing his best to not wince with each footfall.  “Those fucking Winchesters,” he muttered eventually.

 

Next to him, Ruby nodded.  “I know,” she commiserated.  “I think that I’ve taken care of Sam for a while, but we have a bigger problem.”

 

“Something bigger than those heaps of inadequacy and daddy issues?” Lucifer snorted.  “Doubtful.”

 

“Daddy issues?” Ruby arched a brow.  “Do tell.”

 

Lucifer inclined his head toward the brothers.  “Samuel mumbles in his sleep,” was all he told her.  “It’s mostly annoying, but I’ve found _some_ amusing things out.”

 

“Put them to good use,” she advised.  Ruby hummed next to him, her eyes scanning the rest of the group.  When she next spoke, her voice was low and deadly. “Benny needs to go.”

 

“Why?”

 

“He disrupted me when I was making a play for Gabriel,” she practically groaned the doctor’s name, as though the very word was beneath her.  “I was nervous about Sam knowing about,” she paused and fixed Lucifer with a firm glance, “you know.”

 

He did.  After the disgusting display with the hotdogs, he and Ruby had spent a rather enjoyable evening together pounding out an alliance, of sorts.  They had agreed to support and assist on another until it was time to part ways and look out for themselves. She had clued him in to her plan to drug Gabriel with sleeping pills and make it look as though they had slept together.  

 

It wasn’t a bad plan, Lucifer gave her that.  But now that Sam Winchester knew, there was no telling if he would blow it up in their faces.  Ruby insisted that she’d threatened him enough to keep quiet, but Lucifer had met people like Sam before.  The noble, moral, whiny, _bitches_ of the world.  He wouldn’t put it past his roommate to find a way to expose Ruby’s deviousness--and Lucifer wouldn’t stand for that.  He had an ally again, and he intended to keep her.

 

Ruby was still talking.  “I figured that I shouldn’t wait until my private date, so I went to his room.  I thought that I would get invited in and dose him early.”

 

His head swivelled and he looked at her.  “You found a way to get into his room? I heard from that annoying girl who changes the sheets that his room has an electronic keypad.”

 

“It does,” Ruby snapped.  “I just stood in the hall in lingerie and waited.”

 

“What color was it?” he was momentarily distracted.  He had eyes--Ruby was gorgeous. And he was a virile, fully functioning, pansexual male; so he was curious.

 

“Focus!” Ruby snapped her fingers in front of his face.  When he didn’t blink and continued to stare her down, she huffed.  “Red, okay? It was lacy and red. Happy?”

 

Lucifer shrugged.  Now that his curiosity had been satisfied and he could mentally picture her, he didn’t care as much. “I take it that he didn’t ask you back to his room for a nightcap?”

 

“No,” she spat angrily. “That fucking hick showed up and convinced Gabriel to leave with him.  He needs to be gone—like fucking yesterday, Luke!”

 

He managed to smile down at her.  Despite the fact that he would absolutely push her off of a cliff to win, he was rather fond of Ruby. She was the only one present who called him by his preferred name.  It wasn’t huge, but when one’s dick of an absent father saddled one with the name ‘Lucifer,’ one tended to appreciate anyone who realized that ‘Luke’ was less likely to get dirty looks. 

 

 _‘Wait a minute,’_ Lucifer thought. _‘Push her down a cliff.’_   He turned to Ruby, his lips parting in a horrific slice. “You want the hick to head home?”  At her fervent nod, he continued. “How far are you willing to go?”

 

Ruby returned his sadistic grin. “What do you have in mind?”

 

“We’re out here in the middle of nowhere, right?” Lucifer began, making sure that his voice didn’t carry.  “That pissant town, Bambi Forest, or whatever--”

 

“Deer Glen,” Ruby corrected.

 

“Yeah,” Lucifer tried not to roll his eyes at her.  “It’s probably not big enough to have a hospital. At least, not one that could deal with more than a few stitches or _maybe_ a bout of appendicitis.  Not anything newsworthy,” he looked hard at her.  “What if someone,” Lucifer’s eyes darted up the trail to Benny, about forty feet ahead of them, “were to have a little _accident?_ ”

 

Their eyes locked, and Ruby’s nostrils flared.  “Out here, on the trail,” her eyes slid back to Benny, “who knows if the paramedics would reach them in time.”

 

“We’re out here for most of the day,” Lucifer said.  “I heard that skinny Asian kid say that this group date is planned to last until four.”

 

“Plenty of time,” Ruby finished his thought.

 

The two schemers looked up as the group finally reached a small clearing.  The trees had thinned to almost nothing as the river crept up its banks. The trench was wider than Lucifer expected, the water steady, but nowhere near rushing.  It looked peaceful, and that was unsettling to him. 

 

Collapsible canvas chairs, along with tables laden with food and drink, had been set up in an inviting manner.  Most of the other contestants made a beeline for the refreshments, while a few--such as Dean and Benny--gathered near the slowly flowing river to inspect the fishing gear that had been laid out for them.

 

Ruby tugged at his arm, tossing her head in a gesture to follow her away from the others.  Lucifer spared a quick glance around, seeing that no one was paying them any mind. One step toward Ruby and it was over.  He was following her deeper into the trees. They moved around mossy trunks, skipped over fallen branches, and forced aside overgrown green bushes.  For a moment, he could still see flashes of color from the other’s clothing through the foliage, but soon enough, that slipped away as well.  

 

Eventually, Ruby came to a stop beside a massive oak tree.  She spun suddenly to face him. Before Lucifer knew what was happening, she had maneuvered his back up against the tree trunk, and was standing close enough for their torsos to brush.  The little bitch was stronger than she looked. “I don’t know about you,” Ruby purred, running her hand lightly down his chest. “But if I’m about to plan a potential fatal accident with someone, I want to know that I can trust them.”

 

Narrowing his cold blue eyes, Lucifer looked down at her before snatching her wrist tightly and pulling it away from his body.  “I think we have established that trust is a futile and _stupid_ thing to place in someone else.”

 

“I just want to make sure you like me enough to not throw me under the bus if we’re caught.”

 

“What?”  Lucifer snapped sarcastically.  “Do you want to seal our _devotion_ with blood?  A kiss?” 

 

“Something a little more enjoyable, I think,” Ruby licked her lips.  

 

He felt her small hand on his belt, and against his will, Lucifer’s gaze softened. _‘Well, if she wanted to play like that,’_ he thought.

 

His zipper slid down as Ruby sank to her knees.  Lucifer could still hear the sounds of their companions a few yards away as he threaded his fingers into her thick dark hair and gripped tightly.

 

Xx xXx xX

 

Their esteemed host, Crowley, had refused to hike up to their fishing spot, and Gabriel was eternally grateful.  There were moments when he was endlessly amused by the snarky British man; and others where he bit back the desire to kick Crowley in the shins.  Being cornered by _both_ Crowley and Rowena a few days prior and basically _forced_ into agreeing to a ‘nature excursion’ for the next group date, had Crowley back on Gabriel’s Shit List.

 

There was a reason that Gabe had become a surgeon, and not a forest ranger--the woods were dirty and also, creepy as fuck.  He hadn’t been a Boy Scout, he wasn’t a fan of camping; and while he could absolutely touch another person’s insides, he had no desire to touch a wriggling, live fish.  When he’d protested the idea, Rowena had made illusions to cancelling the private date with Sam to the Treasure Fest, and Gabriel had readily given in. There was _no_ way that he was going to risk some alone time with the only man left that he truly desired.  

 

Now that they were here, and Gabe was holding an actual fishing rod in his hands, he looked across the clearing to where Sam was loitering, and shook his head fondly.  The things he put up with for his perfect, special, moose. Too bad that Sam had no idea the things that he was sacrificing for them. If it hadn’t been for Sam’s valiant attempt with the hot dogs, Gabriel would have wondered what the tall hunk was still doing at the ranch.  No matter what he tried, or how he approached Sam, it seemed as though the other man was always on the defensive with him. Gabe honestly didn’t know why...or how to fix it.

 

His eyes narrowed and slid over to his brother.  Cassie was filming Dean and Benny as they laughed together and picked through a large collection of flies with Ash.  The long-haired stable hand was also a rather experienced guide and had jumped at the chance to take the group out when Rowena had smiled at him and offered a large cash sum.  Ash didn’t do things for free, and Gabe could respect that.

 

They had to mill about and kill some time until Crowley and Rowena arrived.  Some of the ranch’s staff were driving them up on four-wheelers. They were supposed to already be here, but if Gabriel knew Rowena, the little vixen was probably getting her beauty sleep.  Gabe glanced around, feeling awkward, and tried to decide who he should pull into conversation.  

 

Balthazar was nearby, half asleep while clutching a steaming cup of coffee, and Gabriel made a point to turn his attentions elsewhere.  Sure, Balthy was attractive, and almost as flirty as Gabriel himself--but despite his rather promiscuous past, _that_ particular trait now rubbed Gabe the wrong way.  He’d been actively avoiding Balthazar since the night he’d drunkenly accosted--and propositioned--Gabe.

 

His eyes tracked over to Sam, the way that they always seemed to these days.  The stunning giant was standing a few feet from Balthazar, also nursing a coffee.  Sam’s eyes were narrowed, and he was apparently focusing his glare on Gabriel, because their eyes locked.  After a few seconds of staring, which Gabriel was sure looked as awkward as it felt, Sam’s cheeks pinked and he pointedly glanced away.  Interesting. Everything in him yearned to swagger right up to the hunky, and puzzling, contender for his heart, but Gabe knew that he shouldn’t.  Rowena and Crowley had already reamed his ass more than once about playing favorites. Besides, he didn’t want to spook the kid...again. Reluctantly, he turned away from his delicious Sammy, on the lookout for someone else to bother.

 

While he hadn’t felt a spark during their brief, and surprising, kiss in the garage, Gabriel thought Lucifer was at least amusing and decent company so far.  He looked around, picking through the assembled crowd, but couldn’t see him. Ruby seemed to be absent as well. Since he wasn’t interested in her in the least, he didn’t dwell on her whereabouts.  

 

Gabe felt his shoulders fall.  If he wasn’t going to indulge himself and monopolize Sam’s time, then his best bet looked to be Dean and Benny.  Lisa had joined them and was making faces at the flies the two men were pulling out of the large tackle boxes. Dean wiggled one in front of her nose and she swatted at his hand and batted her eyelashes.  It wasn’t too surprising to Gabriel that Lisa would flirt with handsome former soldier. Gabriel wasn’t blind--Dean was pretty--he just wasn’t Gabe’s particular weakness. He laughed when he saw the nasty looks his little brother was shooting at Lisa while he continued to film the trio.

 

Crossing the space, his boots sinking ever so slightly into the muddy earth, Gabriel slid up next to Castiel, who was exhibiting all the classic signs of insecurity and resentment.  Figuring that he should probably pull Cas off of the Jealousy Train, he obnoxiously elbowed his sibling in the ribs. Cas let out an oomph and glared at him. “What’s shakin’ baby bro?”

 

“Well, now my footage is, since you jostled the camera with your childish bid for my attention,” Cas sounded resigned.

 

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Gabriel snarked right back.  “You doing okay over here?” His tone was earnest. He loved his brother, and he knew that it couldn’t be easy to watch Lisa come on to Dean so strongly.

 

“I’m very busy Gabriel,” Cas deflected.  “What do you want?”

 

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at his brother.  Fine. If Cassie wanted to be pissy, then he’d just drop it.  “Just came over to spend some time with my dates.” He knew that he was being petty and juvenile, but Cas wasn’t the only one having a rough time lately. Cas snorted at his obvious dig, and went back to adjusting his lenses.  “Do you know where the King of Rotten and the Ginger Whore are? I’d like to get started so that it can, you know-- _end_.”

 

“They were delayed with a few matters from the production office,” Cas said absently, paying Gabriel hardly any mind as he fiddled with his camera.  “I received word that they left the ranch about five minutes ago. They should arrive any time.”

 

“Super,” Gabe said.  “Thanks bro.” He side-stepped and moved past Castiel to stand next to Benny.  He knew that he needed to interact with the contestants, trying to show that he was playing along, and Benny was his friend.  He might as well see if the Southern man would be interested in some staged flirting for the cameras to get Rowena to back off for a few days.  

 

Benny was still examining some of the equipment, no longer paying attention to the antics of Dean and Lisa.  Gabriel shot Dean a foul look. It was one thing for Lisa to be throwing herself at the man, but the fact that Dean wasn’t trying too hard to get rid of her irritated Gabe.  Even if he wasn’t banging Gabriel’s little bro, there were strict rules about the participants not sleeping with anyone but Gabe in the first place. He could let Dean slide if it was genuine between him and Castiel; but if Dean was using Cassie, Gabe would go full on Scary Big Brother with the guy.  He didn’t care that Dean was a trained soldier and five inches taller than him--he’d take the prick down. Besides, Dean was being stupid by letting Lisa flirt, much less allowing them to be filmed. It was fucking risky, and it was hurting Cassie’s feelings. So yeah, Gabriel glowered. 

 

Forcing his attention away from the provocative pair, Gabriel moved deliberately close to Benny and rested his hand on his friend’s shoulder, leaning into the man’s personal space.  He knew that Cas was catching everything, and he planned on playing things up. “Bonjour, my little Boudin,” he said loudly in a ridiculous accent, knowing full well that the mics would pick up everything.  For this little melodrama though, he not only wanted the audience’s attention, but Sam’s as well.

 

Benny chuckled at the name, reading between the lines, attuned to what Gabriel was doing.  “Did you call me your ‘little sausage’ on purpose? I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended brother,” Benny twisted so that their position looked even more suggestive.  “You know my sausage is anything but _little._ ”

 

Gabriel leaned in and whispered into Benny’s ear, “Oh, you’re _good._ ”  Taking the opportunity to run his hand up Benny’s muscular back, he loudly commented, “My mistake, of course.  Let me make it up to you later?”  

 

“Wow, Gabe,” Dean said lifelessly.  “You and Benny are really hitting it off then?  Comparing ‘sausage’ sizes and everything?” He looked at the chef, who was putting on a show of groping at Gabriel’s body.  “Not gonna save any for the rest of us?” Dean’s words and tone were light, but those green eyes were hard-set and looked disapproving.  Like he could fucking talk, with Lisa draped all over his ass?

 

Benny’s bulky muscles went noticeably rigid in Gabriel’s arms, but he kept up his end of their bargain.  “Gabriel’s free to sample any of the ingredients here, brother. I can’t help that he likes a little heat and spice.”

 

Dean and Benny eyed each other for a moment and then they both forced a laugh.  Was Dean...jealous? That made even less sense than him allowing Lisa to brush her fingers over his lips.  Gabriel didn’t like the implication that Dean wasn’t fully on board with Cassie. He’d have to find a way to test that out later.  After careful consideration, he smirked at both men. “Food metaphors,” Gabriel pretended to lick his lips. “You boys certainly know the way to my heart.”

 

“That’s not the only thing I know my way to,” Benny chuckled, relaxing again.

 

He could see Castiel just behind Dean, camera trained right now him.  Probably all zoomed in too, trying to catch any errant whispers. Deciding to make the most of it, since he had a player that wasn’t Sam, and the undivided attention of a camera lens, Gabe threw back his head and laughed.  He pulled Benny closer and shifted. It would look to Cas, like he might be kissing Benny’s neck from this angle and that would probably be enough to make Rowena squeal with delight.

 

Now that his face wasn’t in the direct path of the camera, Gabriel let his inviting smile slip.  Peering over Benny’s shoulder, Gabriel could see that Sam was staring at them. The shattered look on the kid’s face, made Gabriel’s heart clench painfully.  For a guy who’d done nothing but argue and rebuff him, Sam looked somewhere between furious and heartbroken. He met Sam’s eyes and they held just a little too long before Sam looked away and started to walk back toward the trail leading home.  Gabriel felt like a prize jackass.  

 

He knew that per his contract, he had to make nice with everyone, and besides that, Sam had barely spared him a kind word.  The unrelenting draw that kept pulling him toward Sam was the only tangible thing Gabriel really had to go on. Didn’t make him feel any better about continuing his charade with Benny.  At least Rowena would get her ‘sensationalism.’

 

Gabriel was a little surprised when Dean managed to unhook Lisa from him and take off after his brother.  However, they weren’t going anywhere, because the path was suddenly blocked off by two Commander 1000 UTVs driven by the Head of Security, Aaron, and his impossibly large second-in-command. No one knew the hulking guy’s real name, only that he was apparently Aaron’s cousin and answered to ‘G.’  He also never spoke which was off-putting, to say the least. Personally, Gabe didn’t see the family resemblance. 

 

They all watched as G got off the expensive vehicle, making the wheels lift when his massive bulk was removed.  He silently stomped to the other side and held out a hand for Rowena who was still perched there. 

 

“What’s this?” Rowena crowed in delight, as G, helped lift her off of the powered vehicle.  “Naughty, naughty,” she wagged a finger at Gabriel as she walked closer, trying not to stumble over stones in her spiked-heeled, patent leather ‘hiking boots.’  She looked more dominatrix than lumberjack, but Gabriel knew it was part of her charm. 

 

On the next ATV, Aaron looked over at his passenger, Crowley, who hadn’t moved, and shook his head saying, “I am absolutely _not_ helping you down, Your Highness.”  Crowley rolled his eyes and scoffed, as though he hadn’t been waiting for exactly that, as he climbed down on his own. 

 

Everyone was listening in, watching the scene play out, and Gabriel knew he had to stay cheerful and casual.  He could see Dean leading Sam back over toward the others, both of them looking irritated. “Come on, Duchess,” Gabriel shot back, untangling himself from Benny.  “We’re all being filmed right now. You got your action shots, didn’t you?”

 

“It’s charming to see you finally playing with your other toys,” Crowley joined them, dusting off his suit.  Why the host insisted on designer duds when they were going to be filming in the freaking wilderness was beyond Gabriel.  Crowley was nothing, if not eccentric. “They weren’t cheap, you know,” the British man continued. “I’d hate to see you throw everything away by not test driving each of them.”  The collective group sucked in a breath at Crowley’s insinuation.

 

“Hey.  Dick.” Dean waited until Crowley slowly turned to look at him.  He sounded pissed off, while the British host seemed confused at being addressed.  “We’re not used cars, you asshat.”

 

There was a full beat of tense silence before Crowley waved a hand at Dean, otherwise ignoring his comment, before turning back to Gabriel.  “Just make sure that you keep ‘spreading the wealth,’ as it were.” He walked away without another word, barking at Kevin to make sure that he only filmed Crowley’s ‘good side,’ whichever one that was.

 

“Fergus is a bit crude, but he isn’t wrong,” Rowena lectured, her eyes twinkling.  She pitched her voice a bit lower, so only their closest neighbors overheard. “Remember what I said about sharing,” she reminded Gabriel.

 

“I’m well aware of my duties, Scarlet Witch,” Gabe snapped back.  “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll drool over the footage of me and Benny.”

 

“Excellent,” Rowena actually reached over and pinched his cheek.  Hard. Gabriel had to actually concentrate on not flinching. “Just you wait and see what I’ve cooked up for you.”

 

“What tricks do you have up your crafty little sleeve, you wicked pixie?” Gabriel automatically flirted.  Roweana was gorgeous, but there was nothing there--for either of them. They were just naturally amorous individuals, and Gabe enjoyed having playful banter with someone, since Cas was usually such a stick in the mud.

 

“Never you mind, my handsome rouge,” she trilled.  “Just a little something special cooked up for the Treasure Fest.”  

 

Gabriel opened his mouth, ready to tell her that he didn’t want any surprises for his private outing with Sam when Rowena placed a finger under his chin and snapped his jaw closed.  When she reached up and tapped his lips, he actually stumbled back a step. “This is not up for debate, dear.” She twirled away and was across the clearing conversing with Crowley before Gabriel even knew what had just transpired.  _‘What the ever loving fuck was that about?’_

 

He wanted his time at the Treasure Fest with Sam to go perfectly, because he really needed a win with that kid.  For reasons unknown, he’d somehow gotten off on the wrong foot with Sam, and Gabriel was desperate to make up for it.  He wanted Sam to be his prize, and in order for him to be the last man standing, Gabe needed to make Sam _want_ him.  There were glimmers of hope, small things really.  A few veiled phrases, some shy glances, or those adorable full body blushes that he’d witnessed a few times, gave Gabe hope that perhaps Sam already wanted him.  Sam just needed to admit how much he’d fallen; because Gabriel was already halfway down the cliff and he didn’t want to land alone.

 

A shrill whistle cut through the air and everyone, including the crew, snapped their heads toward the sound.  Ash was standing over by the gear, his back to the river. He ran his hands through his mullet quite a few times as he waited for all of them to wander over to him, a loose semi-circle.  “All right, my dudes,” Ash said, once everyone seemed to be paying attention. “I’m gonna run down a few things to get us started and then we’re gonna catch some fucking fish!”

 

“For fuck’s sake, Ash, we talked about this.  You have to tone down the swearing, just as all of us do,” Rowena hissed at him, ignoring her own uncouth word choices.  “As I have said numerous times, I can’t have half this crap cut in editing.”

 

“Sorry, milady,” Ash smiled at Rowena, thoroughly uncaring of her instructions.  “As I was saying, there’s a few basic pieces that you need to successfully fly fish.  The bells and whistle add-ons will always help, but honestly folks, you only really need four things.  A rod, a reel, some line and of course, flies.”

 

“Like, actual dead flies?” Lisa wrinkled her nose.  For a freaking obstetrics nurse, she was awfully squeamish.

 

“No,” Dean told her playfully.  “You don’t have to touch a dead bug, princess.”

 

“Get a room,” Balthazar snorted, giving them both an irritated glance.

 

“Right,” Ash looked like he’d lost his train of thought.  The clearing was almost dead silent for a full minute as they all watched him scratch his head and look puzzled.  Suddenly, he became animated once more and began speaking as though he’d never stopped. Gabe snorteed; such was the effects of mary jane, in his medical opinion.  “Like I said, you don’t need much. As for extras, I have a few things covered.”

 

“If none of y’all have polarized sunglasses like Dean and Benny here, I’ve got a couple extras in that bag over there,” Ash motioned to a rather moth eaten, olive colored backpack that had been dumped on the ground near one of the camp chairs.  Gabe took his own pink tinted aviator sunglasses off, and glanced at them. It wasn't long before he found the word ‘polarized’ on the inside of the temple, and he nodded smugly. His nurse, Jo had been spot on when suggesting this brand before Gabe had left for the show.

 

“This here’s a graphite rod,” Ash held up one of the pieces in his hand. “They’re a mid-level, so they’ll be just fine for all you folks today.”  He gestured over to his gleaming tackle box with a fond smile. “We’re gonna be using dry flies today,” Ash explained. “They look like little insects landing on the water to those delicious trout we’re after, and that’s a good thing.”

 

“So,” Lisa said, sarcastically, her eyebrow arched.  “Flies look like...flies?”

 

Next to her, Balthazar chucked. He was joined by Ruby and Lucifer who had stumbled out of the woods a few minutes earlier looking decidedly rumpled. Gabriel was going to have to keep an eye on that. For his part, Ash didn’t seem to notice Lisa’s tone and just nodded at her with a smile saying, “You got it!”

 

Gabriel watched as Ash herded everyone toward the equipment.  No one, with the exception of Dean or Benny looked excited about their activity, and honestly, Gabe couldn’t blame them one bit. 

 

“All of the rods and reels are perfectly matched, so you don’t have a thing to worry about,” Ash was saying as he began to thrust fishing rods into everyone’s reluctant hands. 

 

“I don’t have to touch a fish, do I?” Ruby said, pursing her lips as Ash handed her a rod.  “Because that is fucking disgusting.”

 

“We got nets for each of you,” Ash told her. “If you’re still squeamish about getting ‘em out of the net though, just ask someone to help you.”

 

“I’m not getting in that water,” Lisa stood resolutely, gripping her fly rod and glaring at the river. “I’m not going to risk getting my hair wet.”

 

Ash didn’t miss a beat.  “No worries,” he said happily. “Most people use waders and get out in the river, but we can just as easily fish from shore.”

 

“Good,” Lisa harrumphed.

 

“Everything is all set up, except getting the actual flies on the end of your tippet. So I’m going to show you how to do that first and then you can fish to your heart’s content,” Ash beamed at them as though he’d given them all a wonderful gift. 

 

“Sounds awesome, buddy,” Dean finally said, trying to ease the almost hostile tension surrounding everyone. 

 

Apparently _no one_ was super into nature in this group. 

 

Ash walked forward and latching his hand around Sam’s arm, pulling the taller man toward the front of the group. Even from this distance, Gabriel could see that Sam’s jaw was locked.  “Don’t be shy,” Ash laughed as he maneuvered Sam into place with both of their backs to the river. “I just need an assistant for this part.”

 

“Couldn’t you pick someone else?” Sam ducked his head and tried to whisper to Ash, but everyone heard. 

 

“I could,” Ash said simply. “But this is more fun.”  He turned to the group again. “This is called an improved clinch knot.”

 

Sam rolled his eyes and glanced behind him at the river, his eyes glinting. Gabe could tell how irritated Sam was, but he also noticed that angry Sam was pretty damn sexy as well.  Guiding Sam’s hands through the process, Ash showed them all how to fix their flies to the tippet on the end. “Pass the line through the eye,” Ash coaxed, helping Sam. 

 

Narrowing his eyes, Gabriel tried to squash the nauseating feeling of jealousy that was rising within him.  He bent his head and concentrated on his own knot. He wrapped his line and passed it back through, finding the task rather easy after so many years tying sutures.

 

“Badass,” Ash said from right next to him, and Gabe’s head snapped up, startled.  “You’re good at this,” Ash observed, reaching over with a small pocket knife to trim the line.

 

“Yeah, lots of practice,” Gabe said. 

 

He watched Ash move away, inspecting everyone’s work, occasionally fixing or helping.  It was unsettling how quickly Gabe’s inner green eyed monster reared its head when it came to Sam.  Ash was his friend, and Gabriel had been ready to rip the guy’s throat out because he was _helping_ the dude that Gabe was crushing on!  He needed to pull himself together. 

 

It wasn’t long before Ash had them all lined up along the bank of the river, this time he was using Ruby to demonstrate.  She was holding a fishing rod in her hand, her pretty lips pulled in a frown. Ash moved directly up behind her, his pelvis bumping her rear.  It earned him some giggles from the other participants, but a harsh scowl from the diminutive brunette. “Hands--and other parts-- _off_ the merchandise Joe Dirt!”

 

“Sorry honey,” Ash said.  He winked at the rest of them, which drew more snickers, but he did move to her side.  “You wanna grasp the rod like you’re shaking hands.” He moved Ruby’s fingers and waited while the rest of them followed suit.  From there, Ash told them how to raise their arms, wiggling the rod to drop the line and fly of the tip.

 

When it came time to show them how to actually cast into the water, he held Ruby a little provocatively once more in order to ‘correct her grip.’  Ruby looked incredibly put out by the whole ordeal, and while Gabriel knew Ash was harmless and playing for laughs--he wasn’t sure if Ruby saw it that way.  By the time the demonstration was over and Ruby stomped back to stand next to Lucifer, everyone was chuckling at her expense, even Sam. She looked furious, but didn’t say anything outright.

 

Ash got everyone a decent distance apart and had them all practice casting.  There was soft conversation, and muted laughter, indicating that despite the initial aversion to an ‘outdoor day,’ people were beginning to have fun.  All the while, Cas, Kevin, and their interns were moving seamlessly between people, vying for that perfect shot that would get them a pat on the head from Rowena.  He’d heard from Cas that Kevin was hoping for some good word of mouth from the spitfire producer, and he noticed how eager the young man was to emulate Cassie.  

 

Currently, Kevin was filming Sam and Dean who were having a heated, and whispered, discussion.  Gabriel wished he could hear whatever it was that the camera’s microphones were picking up, because both men kept shooting glances down the row at him.  Apparently he was paranoid now. Super. He figured that the only thing to do was focus on the activity, and try to ignore both Sam’s eyes, and the increasingly suggestive compliments coming from Balthazar on his other side.

 

Gabriel watched Ash correct a few more things before he decided to give it a try.  He threw back and let his line loose, watching the fly dance along the surface of the water.  When he’d reeled it back in with no fish attached, he gave it another shot. And then another.  

 

Surprisingly, Gabriel found himself enjoying the repetitive motion.  He was finding that fishing was a lot like surgery. There were basic steps that were required, but each operation--and each time he tossed his line out--there were unique variables to account for.  He was actually having fun. In nature, of all places.

 

“Try to cast out about thirty to forty feet if you can,” Ash called.  “We don’t have to go out too far here.”

 

Gabriel threw his arm back once more, and smiled when his fly went farther into the river than it had previously.  He snuck a glance down the row and saw that Sam’s line was effortlessly surpassing everyone else’s into the water. Obviously it was because of his annoyingly long limbs.  Gabriel was absolutely _not_ jealous that the kid was a good head taller than him.  Nope. He was a perfectly decent--and _normal_ \--height.  It didn’t help that Sam’s stature just made him all the more attractive to Gabriel.  Who didn’t find ‘Tall, Dark, and Handsome’ to be stupidly hot?

 

Next to him, Balthazar was fiddling around with his fishing rod, grumbling.  “Having fun, Balthy?” Gabriel couldn’t resist. The Englishman looked beyond put out, and his line was beginning to tangle.

 

“Not particularly,” Balthazar turned to fix him with a suggestive stare.  “I prefer to handle a different kind of _rod,_ darling.”

 

“I’ll bet.”  Gabe turned slightly away, discreetly peeking at Sam.

 

“I’m sure you’re talented in that respect as well,” Balthazar continued, all pretenses of fishing gone.  Gabriel was already regretting engaging the man. “You know,” Balthazar came up behind him, purring in Gabe’s ear.  “You never took me up on my offer of a blowie.”

 

Twisting his neck, Gabriel found that Balthazar was incredibly close.  Their noses almost bumped. “Yeah,” he tried for casual. “You were pretty trashed--not really my style.”

 

“I’m sober now.”  Already impossibly close, Balthazar took another step into Gabriel’s personal space.  He could see one of the camera operators hovering just behind them, catching every detail of the encounter.  “I’d be happy to take you into the woods and,” Balthazar did something odd with his tongue and stroked his rod with a firm fist, conveying _way_ too much.  “Smoke your pole, as it were,” the Englishman finished.

 

Oh, the innuendo.  Normally, that kind of bullshit was exactly Gabe’s thing, but he unsurprisingly wasn’t on board with it.  Gabriel actually gulped, and pushed down the impending rush of bile in his throat. He hadn’t expected the guy to come on so strong when he wasn’t intoxicated, apparently he’d read _that_ wrong.  However, he knew that Rowena would be jumping for joy when she saw this footage, so he’d have to play it up a little.  He couldn’t just outright shoot the man down.  

 

If Gabriel was anything though, it was a showman.  He licked his lips and smirked when Balthazar’s eyes focused on the motion.  Leaning in, he coyly met the other man’s gaze. “Tempting,” Gabriel said loud enough for the camera to pick up everything.  “I might take you up on that later Balthy.”

 

“The offer is always open, Crumpet.”

 

“Good to know.”  Before he could say another word, a loud shout came from behind him and Gabriel turned just in time to see Sam slam himself bodily into Lucifer.

 

Xx xXx xX

 

It was merely instinctual for Dean Winchester to go running after Sam, when he bolted, attempting to leave the group, and more importantly, Gabriel. Dean knew that he would forever be trying to solve all of Sammy’s problems for him.  That’s what big brothers did. He’d always done his best to pick up the shattered pieces of life when Sammy had inevitably dropped them. It wasn’t that his brother constantly did dumb things--it was more like the universe seemed to have it out for him.

 

He’d had a feeling that Gabriel’s little show with Benny would push Sam’s buttons, but he hadn’t expected his brother to just up and take off.  Luckily Rowena and Crowley blocked his escape, and Dean didn’t have to chase Sammy too far. Convincing his rather introverted sibling to join the rest of them once more was a little delicate.  For whatever reason, Sam had a stick up his ass about something and he’d told Dean that he wanted to ‘just go.’ Whether he meant back to the ranch, or all the way home to New York, Dean didn’t know, or care.  He just had to prevent Sam from running away like a little bitch.

 

If Dean had to drag his kid brother kicking and screaming back to the group, then he’d do it.  Sam needed to get over his little hissy fit. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Gabe was just playing it up for the cameras with Benny.  There was no way that Sam didn’t see that. If for some reason his incredibly intelligent brother couldn’t tell that Gabriel was one hundred percent gone on Sam--and Sam alone--then it was Dean’s job to point it out.  And he couldn’t play matchmaker with Cas and Benny if half of the intended couple was sulking alone in his room like a little emo teenager.

 

He’d managed to pull Sam away from the trail when Ash snapped everyone to attention with an ungodly loud whistle.  Dean chuckled as he watched Lisa and Balthazar cover their ears and glare at the long-haired ranch hand. Man-handing Sam over to the group was easier than Dean expected.  His brother was muttering, and all Dean caught were the words, ‘rotten’ and ‘dead little fish eyes,’ whatever the fuck that meant.

 

Ash was walking them through how to tie off the flies, and Dean couldn’t concentrate with Sam talking to himself like that.  It was fucking annoying. “Shut up, bitch,” Dean hissed. When he didn’t get the obligatory response of, “Jerk,” he knew something was really wrong.  “Hey,” he stopped fiddling with his fishing pole and lightly socked Sam in the arm. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You can’t be this pissy because the munchkin was flirting with Benny?”

 

“Of course I’m not upset about that,” Sam said, much too quickly.  “Gabriel can throw himself at whoever he wants--I don’t care.”

 

“Sure you don’t.”

 

“That’s not what this is about, Dean,” Sam sighed.  “You know what? Nevermind.”

 

Dean turned to face his brother.  “Then what the fuck is it about?”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sam let his hair fall over his face, obscuring his view and pointedly ignored Dean.

 

“Too bad, Rapunzel,” Dean reached over and pushed Sam’s fishing rod down, interrupting his work.  “Talk to me. What is going on? Why are you so bent out of shape. This isn’t like you, and I gotta say that it’s freaking me out here.”

 

Sam’s entire body slumped in defeat and he looked at Dean.  “Fine,” he conceded. “But not here, okay? I really don’t want the cameras to get the complete and uncut version of the horror show that is my life.”

 

Dean stepped back and held up his hands.  “Fine by me. We can meet up later tonight, is that okay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And you’ll tell me everything?  No holds barred?” Dean knew he was pushing, but he had to know.  He couldn’t fix it, if Sammy wouldn’t tell him the truth.

 

Sam looked over Dean’s shoulder and he knew that his little brother was staring right at Gabriel.  Fuck, the kid had it bad. How had Dean not realized how deep this went for Sam? Yeah, Sammy had put on a show, said all of the right things to prove that he despised their bachelor.  But it was such an overt misdirection, that Dean was kicking himself for not noticing earlier. Sure, he could tell that Sam was attracted to Gabriel. Not to mention, Sam _had_ admitted a childhood crush.  But this was beyond puppy love for Sam; Dean knew the signs and they were all there, flashing in iridescent neon, complete with a marching band.  Sam was in love with Gabriel.

 

“Sammy,” Dean said firmly, forcing his brother to look away from Gabe.  “You’re going to tell me all of it. Every detail, you hear me?”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Sam broke.  “I’ll tell you everything, Dean, I promise.”

 

“Awesome.”  Dean knew that he had pressed as much as he could without sending Sam skittering back into his own head.  He busied himself on trying to cast his line the way that Ash was showing them. The shit that guy was pulling with Ruby was hilarious, especially since the bitch seemed totally disgusted by their instructor’s antics.

 

He could tell that Sam was still sulking next to him and shooting puppy eyes down the riverbank at Gabriel, who was currently being accosted by Balthazar.  Dean didn’t care about any of it, he tuned the whole world out. Everything except for Cas.

 

His lover was moving amongst the group, shooting each of them as they tried to fly fish.  Dean kept trying to catch his eye, but Cas was deliberately ignoring him. He might not have been the best at the whole girly feelings crap, but Dean wasn’t an idiot.  He knew that he’d messed up earlier with the whole scene involving Lisa. The hurt look in Castiel’s eyes hadn’t been hard to miss. Dean was in the dog-house, and he only had himself to blame.

 

On his other side, Dean saw that Lucifer and Ruby had abandoned fishing and were chattering to one another, their voices pitched low.  Cas had moved away from where he’d been filming Ash and Lisa, his camera now trained on the two conspirators. Dean inched down the river so that he was closer to them, trying and failing to make Cas meet his eyes.  

 

“Cas,” he hissed.  Nothing. “Castiel.”  Frustrated, Dean decided that anything was allowed on his quest to get back into Cas’ good graces.  He carefully slid up next to his lover and slipped his hand under Cas’ elbow. When he didn’t get a response, Dean began incessantly poking Castiel’s side and repeating his name. 

 

Two minutes later, Cas was glaring at him, ignoring his responsibilities.  “That is very infuriating, Dean.” 

 

“Yeah, I know,” he grinned.

 

Cas’ voice pitched low and he leaned in, one eyebrow cocked.  It was significantly hotter than Dean was prepared for. “You’re a very troublesome boy, aren’t you, Dean?”

 

Dean’s dick twitched at Cas’ tone.  “Maybe I am.”

 

“And how exactly should I handle a bad boy like yourself?”

 

Oh.  _Oh._   Dean licked his lips.  He was all for whatever Cas was suggesting.  The idea that he could apologize with his body and not actually have to utter the dreaded words, “I’m sorry,” was music to Dean’s ears.  “I’m pretty sure that bad boys get punished, don’t they, Cas?”

 

God, he was honestly hoping that Cas followed through with this.  Dean had never done anything truly kinky in the past, but the idea of Cas punishing him in order to work through their little spat was fifty fucking shades of erotic.  “They do indeed,” Cas said. Dean waited for something else, but Castiel just silently turned away from him and resumed filming, his camera panning along the river.

 

“Are you kidding me?”  Was Cas seriously going to get him all revved up like that and not follow through?  Oh, that wasn’t happening. Castiel was angled slightly away from him, his lens aimed right at Sam, who was still pouting.  Dean set his jaw and moved directly behind Cas, sucking in a breath as he tapped the man on his shoulder.

 

“Yes, Dean?” Cas spun toward him, the camera right in Dean’s face, recording.

 

He swallowed a few times and pulled himself together as much as he could.  “I’m not saying that if someone walked about a quarter mile into those trees,” Dean flipped his head to the expansive forest behind them.  “That they wouldn’t find me hard, naked and on all fours waiting for a cock to fill me up and teach me a lesson,” he paused. “But they might.”   

 

Castiel’s camera was still shooting, recording every word that fell from Dean’s lips, but the angle however, was tilted, capturing only the expanse of Dean’s shoulder.  The man who prided himself on his professionalism was no longer paying any attention to his work, and Dean internally delighted at the power that he currently held. 

 

Dean could see the effort that Castiel was making to keep his breathing measured.  His partner’s nostrils flared as Cas turned his head and scanned the area. “Do you really want to play this game with me Dean?”  

 

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that.  Yes--he wanted to play--but Castiel’s tone made it sound as though there was an underlying meaning to his question.  Apparently Dean took too long to reply, because suddenly those ice blue eyes were boring right into Dean’s soul. “You want me to chase after you, catch you--fuck you against a tree?  Is that what you want, Dean? Do you need to be taught how to behave for me? Would you like it if I spanked my naughty boy so that he never tested my patience again?”  

 

Oh fuck, his brain was malfunctioning.

 

“I need your consent, Dean.” 

 

“Yeah,” Dean let out a shaky breath.  Cas cocked an eyebrow at him and looked displeased.  “I mean,” Dean gulped. “Yes...sir?”

 

Castiel leaned in, his lips brushing Dean’s ear.  He was amazed that no one had noticed them, standing right out in the open with everyone else, as their exchange ramped up in heat.  “Good boy,” Cas’ words were barely a whisper. When he pulled away, he began to pick at the camera in his hands, attempting to look as though he wasn’t talking to Dean at all.  “You’re going to go exactly where you said, Dean. You will have your pants around your ankles and be bent over, waiting for me. And you’re going to make it easy to find you as well--I’m not going to search around.  If someone else comes across you, you will let them look at you and see how naughty you are, all naked and spread for me. Do you understand?”

 

Picking up on the fact that they did need to attempt discretion, Dean had moved a little closer to the river and made a show of re-adjusting his reel.  He couldn’t have met Cas’ eye if he’d wanted to. The warmth on his cheeks spread, and Dean could feel how hard he was in his pants. He desperately hoped that neither was all that noticeable, though he seriously doubted it.  “Yes, sir.” 

 

The only further instructions that he received before Castiel turned and walked in the opposite direction was, “You have five minutes.”

 

Every nerve ending in his body was tingling as he tried to casually walk over toward the table laden with food, seemingly grabbing a beer from the coolers resting on the moistened grass.  As he moved passed Lucifer and Ruby, he heard the petite woman hissing, “Just go over there and do what you do best, Luke--torture the fucking loser.”

 

Another time, Dean would have been curious; he probably would have even stopped to put a wrench in Ruby’s plans.  The chick was clearly bad news after all; and Lucifer wasn’t any better. But those two douche-canoes and their issues were the farthest thing from Dean’s mind as he tried to slink off into the woods undetected.

 

Once he was fairly certain that no one was paying him any mind, Dean slipped into the trees, leaving the clearing, and the rest of their party behind him.  He walked due West, in the direction he had earlier indicated, hoping that Castiel would actually find him. He had no idea if Cas was in any way outdoorsy and despite the terms of their little game, Dean had no desire for anyone to stumble across him with his pants down waiting to be fucked.  

 

Dean had spent a career training to maneuver in all kinds of terrain. He was normally stealthy and rather graceful for a muscular six foot plus guy.  Today was another story. In his eagerness and haste, Dean tripped over more than one tree branch, on his mad dash through the trees. 

 

He was constantly scanning his surroundings though, making sure that at the very least, he hadn’t been followed by anyone. Especially Rowena or, even worse, Kevin and his ever present camera.  The other thing that he was keeping an eye out for, was the perfect, thick, tree trunk to brace himself on. A little less than a quarter mile that he’d predicted, Dean saw it. 

 

A gnarled tree trunk, shooting out of the earth, towered over him.  It was tall enough that the lowest branches were just out of his reach.  The massive trunk was wide enough that Dean knew he that his arms wouldn’t be able to fully reach around it.  It was _exactly_ what he was looking for. 

 

Since their tryst had been cut short last night, once he was back in his room, Dean had taken the time to finger fuck himself in the bathroom. He’d never been so grateful to be sexually frustrated in his life.  He was loose and ready.

 

Hurriedly, Dean popped the button on his jeans and tugged. He pulled both his pants and briefs to his knees, spreading his legs wide enough to keep them from pooling on the damp moss of the forest floor.  He gripped the tree, the harsh edges of the bark biting into his palms, as he bent at the waist. Dean tilted his pelvis, so the round, fleshy, globes of his ass looked even perkier. He wanted to look tempting and inviting to Castiel.

 

It took almost too long for Dean to finally hear leaves and twigs crunching under footfalls. He prayed that whoever was approaching was Cas, because the last thing he wanted was for his compromising position to be caught on film.  Someone was standing behind him, but Dean didn’t crane his neck to look. If it was Cas, he knew that his lover wouldn’t want him to move; and if it was someone else, well, then Dean didn’t want to know. 

 

The presence at his back felt heavy; the silence, almost oppressive. Dean squeezed his eyes shut and silently begged that whoever it was would speak.  The wait wasn’t long. His muscles relaxed at the first sign of that familiar, gravelly tone. 

 

“Show me, Dean.”

 

He didn’t ask for clarification, because he didn’t need it. Dean instantly reached backwards and spread his own ass cheeks, exposing his tight, pink, hole to his lover.  He heard Cas hum in approval before a fat cockhead was bumping his entrance. “You look gorgeous like this,” Cas said roughly. “So pretty for me.”

 

Dean unconsciously pushed back with his hips, trying to force Cas into him. A sharp sting on his right cheek made him gasp. The harsh reprimand of the spanking echoed through the woods.  “You’re still being disobedient, Dean. I won’t stand for that.” He could hear the crinkle of the condom wrapper, and bit his lip in anticipation of a good, hard, fuck.

 

“I’m sorry, Cas.”  Another harsh spank.  “Sir!” Dean corrected. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

 

“Good boy.”  Cas’ lips were right next to his ear. “You will hold yourself open for me while I take you,” Castiel commanded. “But once I’m fucking that naughty, tight hole of yours, you are allowed to brace on the tree.”

 

“Thank you, Sir,” Dean gasped. 

 

He’d barely choked out the words before Cas was pushing almost violently into him.  A single, forceful slide had Cas’ pelvis bumping against his thighs. The harshness was astounding and Dean had to fight to not simply spill himself right then.  His ass was split, the burn causing tears to prick from his eyes, which was humiliating--and exactly what he wanted.

 

Cas didn’t allow him time to adjust before he started pumping his hips, fucking Dean roughly.  Dean was grabbing for the tree, his palms pushing into the trunk, trying to hold himself steady as Cas abused his increasingly sore ass.  The fingers gripping Dean’s hips were digging Cas’ nails harshly into his flesh. Dean’s mouth was hanging open as he was taken.

 

Dean groaned, long and loud, giving a voice to the pleasure coursing through his body.  A forceful slide over his prostate had him whimpering as well. “Be quiet,” Cas grunted, his hips pistoning.  “They’ll hear you.”

 

Sure enough, Dean realized that he hadn’t gone as far as he’d thought.  The faint voices of their party could be heard, drifting through the woods.  Someone could stumble across them, and then Dean would find himself kicked off the show.  Consorting with anyone besides Gabriel was forbidden, after all. The dangerous situation that he’d managed to get himself into increased Dean’s desire and he moaned again without a thought.

 

One of Cas’ hands left his side and cracked across his ass painfully.  “I said to remain silent, Dean. If you continue to disobey me, then you will not be permitted to come.  I’ll make you join the others and stay hard in your pants for the rest of the day,” Cas’ tone was commanding.  “Is that what you want, Dean?”

 

“No, Cas,” he gasped.  “I’ll be quiet. I’ll be good.”

 

Throughout the exchange, Castiel had continued to fuck him, the furious pace of their rutting never slowing.  Dean found that he had to forcibly concentrate on not making a sound. Cas was taking him deeply and every few thrusts, the large cock inside of him would caress his prostate.  It was a beautiful kind of torture. “Tell me what you did wrong, Dean.”

 

He clutched at the tree trunk and held back a whine.  “I flirted with Lisa,” he finally managed. His ass was burning, the passage raw.  Half of him wanted to come, but the urge to cry at the way he was being fucked kept bubbling to the surface.  It was amazing. Dean fervently hoped that he would always be allowed to apologize to Cas in this manner in the future.  He’d never realized how much he wanted to be used and humiliated in this manner. It was vulgar, and fucking filthy, and oh, so very hot.

 

“You were such a wicked boy earlier,” Cas said.  “Letting Lisa touch your lips and speak to you that way.  How do you think that made me feel? Watching her touch and covet what is _mine_ ”

 

“I’m so sorry,” Dean told him truthfully.  A spike of pleasure shot up his spine as Cas thrust his dick harder.  He was so close; so very close to release. “I’m sorry, sir! Sorry! I won’t do it again!”

 

“No you won’t,” Cas ground out.

 

Suddenly, Castiel’s thick length was gone as he pulled completely out of him, taking Dean’s orgasm with it.  Unable to resist the pull of his curiosity, Dean looked over his shoulder at his lover. Cas pulled the condom off of his dick and began to jerk himself.  Every other stroke had Cas’ thumbing over the slit. His eyes were lidded, and his hips jerking in time with his movement. It was only a few seconds before Cas was coming all over Dean’s ass cheeks.  Long, white, spurts decorated Dean with warm cum.

 

Dean’s own rock hard dick pulsed as he watched Cas paint him with his hot, fresh, seed.  He was humping his own hips into the air as Castiel finished on his ass and lower back. Fuck, he hoped that Cas took pity on him and jerked his cock too.  Dean didn’t think that he could take the torture of having to spend the rest of the filmed group date with a hard dick, and jizz coating his underwear.

 

Cas moaned low in his throat as the last of his come dripped from his tip.  The sound was so erotic and Dean craved more. He let a small whimper escape from his own swollen lips, raw from being gnawed on as he’d been so perfectly fucked.  “Cas,” Dean begged. “Please, Angel! Please let me come!”

 

A strong hand slip around to his front and gripped Dean’s aching erection.  One firm stroke was all that Dean got before they were startled out of their passion by a shrill scream that cut through the air--and their haze of lust.  Cas released him as though he’d been burned and both men straightened. “What the hell?” Dean asked.

 

Immediately, Dean was pulling his jeans and cum-soaked briefs up and over himself, careful not to catch the zipper on his still swollen and needy cock.  Cas was buttoning up his own pants as well, attempting to smooth his perpetually messy hair. Someone shouted again, this time a deeper, more masculine voice.  The lovers spared one another a quick glance before they both took off, sprinting in the direction of the river.

 

They both crashed out of the woods, unconcerned with secrecy, as they stumbled into the clearing.  Dean emerged first, stopping short, and forcing Cas to ram into him with a grunt. Five feet away, Rowena and Crowley were pressed against the parked ATVs; Crowley looking disgusted, while Rowena was bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands together happily.  Another shout drew Dean’s attention to the cluster of people near the edge of the water.

 

It was chaos.

 

Everyone was standing in a clump by the river, a loose circle with a rather large space for whatever was happening.  Dean’s brain wasn’t registering what he was seeing. Kevin and one of the interns were scampering around trying to film as much as possible.  A little farther away, Ruby was glowering, standing next to an overturned cooler. The ground next to her covered with chucks of ice and the few dead fish that they had managed to catch thus far.  Her clothes and hair were wet for some reason and she looked like she wanted to stab someone in the throat.

 

Balthazar was standing shin-deep in the water, with Gabriel’s hand clapped over his nose with blood steadily flowing between fingers.  While Gabe was attempting to staunch the bleeding, Balthazar was yelling loud profanities. The short doctor’s focus was hardly on his patient, however, and Dean tracked Gabe’s worried eyes to see what the man had deemed a priority over an obviously busted nose.

 

Tunnel vision.  All Dean saw in that moment was that massive _dick_ , Lucifer, sucker punching Sam.  Everything began to move in slow motion and time meant nothing.  He watched as his little brother took the hit and doubled over. Sam recovered quickly and came back swinging, but something inside Dean snapped at the sight.  Dean took off at a dead run. He was slightly bent at the waist, moving as quickly as he could to his brother’s aid. Six long strides and Dean hit Lucifer around the middle, knocking both of them into the river.

 

The shock of icy river water was enough for both men to let go, clawing to the surface, sputtering as screams filled their ears.  Dean knew something was wrong the moment his head broke the water. His whole arm ached and he could hear shrieks. He turned to his left and saw Lucifer stumbling along the smooth rocks underfoot, trying to get to shore.  

 

On his other side was Lisa, looking like a drowned rat and sobbing.  She had eyeliner smeared across her face and mascara dripping down her cheeks, her thick brown hair hanging limply in her eyes, soaked.  “You asshole!” Lisa shouted, glaring right at Dean. “Watch where you’re going next time you decide to tackle someone, jackass. I said that I didn’t want to get my hair wet!”

 

Just as he’d thought--tunnel vision.  Dean hadn’t even seen Lisa standing on the edge of the water, watching Sam and Lucifer trade blows.  She must have been collateral damage when he plowed into the douchebag, taking them both down. As Dean rose a bit out of the stream, Lisa suddenly fell silent, staring at him, mouth agape.  Another sickening, sharp, barb of pain lanced up his right arm and Dean finally looked down and took stock of himself.

 

Good thing he had a strong stomach and was no stranger to either injury or pain.  

 

Dean forced himself to stand and begin to crawl out of the river which was now churning with mud from the disturbance.  Those in the water--and Ruby--were wet through; while the rest of them didn’t appear much better. Dean groaned, the ache steadily getting worse as Sam rushed toward him and wrapped an arm around Dean’s waist.  His giant brother hoised him up, supporting a large amount of Dean’s weight. He could hear Sam saying, “Fuck, Dean. Hold on.”

 

As the two Winchesters emerged from the river, the rest of the group all fell rather silent as they took in what had happened.  With Sam’s help, Dean managed to stumble up onto the bank, right in front of Gabriel. He grinned, his mind going a bit loopy from the rush of pain.

 

He looked Gabriel dead in the eyes, holding up his obviously broken wrist and said, “Is there a doctor in the house?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel shows his softer side.  
> Sam is (not surprisingly) ridden with guilt.  
> Crowley is freaking weird.  
> Cas makes a push.  
> And Dean is high as a kite.

All hell broke loose at the sight of Dean’s broken wrist and Balthazar’s nose still gushing blood. Rowena was shrieking at Kevin and the interns to record everything while Crowley simply took in the scene, an utterly disgusted expression on his face.  Sam gingerly held onto Dean, careful of the wrist as Gabriel’s eyes blew wide at the injury.

 

“This isn’t something I can fix, he needs to go to a hospital.” Gabriel murmured, trying to look over the wound, as Dean winced in pain. His eyes were glassy, his skin pale.  It was a good thing Sam had a tight grip on him or the man would topple right over, back into the churning, muddy water.

 

“Boys and girls, our little fishing trip is over.” Rowena scowled and stomped off toward the ATV’s, flicking her red hair behind her in irritation. One of the interns quickly radioed back to the ranch arranging for a car to be ready upon arrival to rush Dean to the emergency room in town.

 

“Fantastic.” Crowley rumbled drily. “I get to share a ride with the little pain in the ass.”

 

“Gabriel,” Balthazar whined.  Barely concealing his irritation, Gabriel turned to the annoying British man. “You’re a doctor. You need to fix this.”  Balthy’s high-pitched tone was irritating to them all.

 

“Just go to the hospital,” Gabe waved him off, putting distance between them.  “They’ll fix it for you.” 

 

Sure, the guy had an injury, and Gabriel _was_ a doctor, but Balthy was also a little bit of a prick and a drama queen.  Besides, Dean’s broken wrist was a bit more emergent than a busted nose. While he had been looking it over, he could tell it was very nearly a compound fracture. While the show had a nurse and doctor on hand in case of emergencies, there was no equipment at the ranch to set a broken wrist.

 

“No! You’re a professional. You took an oath, you need to help me!” Balthazar was beginning to take on a shrieking tone and it was a recipe for an instant headache. He reminded Gabriel of a spoiled primadonna, thoroughly unhappy if the attention wasn’t focused solely on him.

 

Gabriel scoffed, his nerves frayed thin. “Balthy, old chum, there is no fixing that hot mess.” In typical Gabriel fashion, he swirled his finger towards Balthy’s face as he said it and fought a smile as Balthazar’s face turned beet red to match his nose.

 

Balthazar scowled and then turned heel, nearly tripping over an exposed root as he made his way over to one of the ATV’s. The rest of the group would be walking back to the ranch, Lisa still grumbling over her soaked clothing and her precious hair.  Every complaint was making her eons less attractive in Gabe’s eyes.

 

“I smell like fucking fish!” Lisa shrieked, nearly losing her balance and sliding onto her ass when she stomped across a patch of mud.  

 

“You’re not the only one,” Ruby snapped at Lisa, baring her teeth.  

 

Ash and Benny cackled in laughter while Lucifer glowered at them all, through an impressively bruising eye, as he absently rubbed his feet before slipping them back into his ridiculous - and ruined - shoes.

 

Carefully, Sam walked Dean over to the waiting Commander ATV, which Aaron promptly hopped into and started. Luckily, the ATVs owned by the ranch were similar to small, compact cars.  The trip back would have been awkward with Dean’s injury, otherwise. Between Benny and Sam, supporting his weight, they got Dean loaded into the seat next to Aaron.

 

Cas, who had been hovering the entire time instead of filming as he should’ve been, gently squeezed the fingers of Dean’s good hand and murmured to him, “You’ll be okay Dean.”

 

“Well, hey there, handsome,” Aaron chuckled as Dean’s listed against him.  “Didn’t think I would get you pressed against me so soon.” The Head of Security grinned, promptly earning a grimace from Cas.

 

Dean leaned his head against Aaron’s shoulder making the smaller man hum happily. “What can I say, I’m a bit of a snuggler.”

 

‘G’ watched the interaction silently, his large and bulky frame imposing as Dean was strapped onto the ATV and made ready for transport.

 

“G, be a darling and escort Balthazar on the other ATV that way his precious little nose can be fixed.” G simply nodded at Crowley’s request.  While it was obvious that Balthazar was getting exactly what he wanted, he still pouted at Crowley’s tone.

 

Gabriel watched sadly as Dean was loaded onto an ATV with Sam begging to be allowed to accompany his brother. 

 

“Sorry moose, no can do,” Crowley sounded unusually stern.  “We’ll need to talk to you and Luke about this little altercation just as soon as we get back to the ranch.”  Sam even pulled out an impressive puppy look, which melted Gabe, but neither Rowena, nor their host, would budge. 

 

Ash made quick work gathering up their fishing equipment, which had been scattered around during the scuffle.  Gabriel didn’t miss the fact that Crowley made certain the cameras were focused on Dean as he said, “Hang in there Squirrel! We’ll all be waiting at home and pulling for you.  The best doctors there will make you good as new.”

 

Only a few minutes later, Dean was carted off toward the ranch.  Crowley looked around, suddenly realizing that everyone left behind would now have to walk back by foot. “Bollocks, that was my ride.”

 

“Fergus, you fecking idiot! Why did you send both of the ATVs away? How do you expect me to walk all the way back to the ranch in _these_?” Rowena grumbled, sticking a slender leg out showing off her so called boots.

 

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

 

Rowena sauntered off, most likely to beg or bribe someone to carry her skinny ass.

 

Benny and Cas were sent along immediately to accompany Dean, while the rest of them started to help Ash break down their day camp.  Cas was under orders to film, and Benny went along to help with the transport, and as a favor, since Sam was being kept behind for a bit of a reprimand.  Gabriel ended up walking silently beside Sam. Lucifer, Lisa and Ash came up behind them as well as the film interns. Ruby was somewhere near the back, still bubbling with fury at her little ‘accident.’  Several times Gabriel wanted to tangle his fingers with Sam’s; perhaps even offer a few words of comfort, but he could tell by the tense set of Sam’s shoulders that it would be unwelcomed.

 

“It’s all my fault.”

 

Gabriel’s head snapped up to Sam’s face at the sadness of his tone. “What?”

 

“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t punched that little _dick,_ Lucifer, then Dean wouldn’t be on his way to the emergency room right now. What the hell kind of name is that anyway?  Lucifer.” Sam paused in thought for a moment. “It’s pretty fitting actually, Lucifer’s a dick. But fuck--” Sam’s words choked off as he ran a shaking hand through his hair. “It’s all my fault.”

 

Talk about a guilt complex.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, Gabriel wondered what had happened to Sam to make him feel as though the entirety of the universe was his responsibility.  Who had made Sam feel as though he wasn’t good enough? He desperately wanted to hug Sam, but settled for gingerly taking hold of his large hand. To Gabe’s surprise and delight, Sam looked down at their joined fingers for a moment, but didn’t say anything.  Gabe took it as a fantastic sign that Sam didn’t automatically pull away.

 

“Your brother means the world to you, doesn’t he?” Gabriel said softly as they slowly walked through the woods.

 

“Yeah, he does. Dean was always there for me. Making me weird versions of macaroni and cheese.” Sam left out a soft laugh. “To this day, I still can’t eat it.”

 

He shot Sam a soft smile. It was the closest Sam had come to opening up to him and Gabe didn’t want to spook the kid.  “I bet. And Sammy? It’s not your fault. Shit happens, especially to good people. Dean’s fucking tough, and from the bit that I poked around at it, I’m not overly concerned.”  He smiled, trying to convey how much he cared about the giant kid. “I have a feeling this little broken wrist is just a tiny little blip. He’ll be back to chasing after Cassie in no time.”

 

Sam barked a laugh and bumped Gabriel playfully with his shoulder. “You picked up on that, did you?”

 

“Oh yeah.  I’m a smart guy, just like you kiddo.”

 

“Our brothers are so gross.”  Sam gave Gabriel’s hand a small squeeze, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

 

“Yeah, but it’s a good gross.  It’s nice to see them both happy.” Gabriel said.  Suddenly, he wished more than anything, that Sam was starting to come around--warm up to him a little.  It was nice to hear him laugh and just watch him be happy and carefree, instead of the surly man that he’d first appeared to be.

 

Things may be looking up between the two men after all.

 

Xx xXx xX

 

Dean was glad that the trip to the ranch would only take a few minutes.  This day completely fucking sucked, and he wanted it to end.

He sighed in relief at the car waiting to take him to the emergency room.  Fucking finally. Several times during the bumpy ride, he’d wanted to vomit.  Not to mention that his wrist fucking throbbed. Good thing he was a tough SOB—or he might have whined about it. 

 

“Take care of yourself cutie,” Aaron said, as Benny helped Dean off of the ATV.  “Don’t forget to let me sign your cast when you get back.”

 

Cas grumbled next to him, obviously trying to keep his comments to himself and the camera running.  After all, it _was_ what he was being paid for, as Rowena was keen to point out.  Dean felt bad that Cas was pissy, but he was concentrating a bit more on himself at the moment. Once he didn’t want to scream in agony, he’d make sure his blue-eyed sex god knew that Dean had eyes only for Castiel. 

 

“Thanks Aaron.” Dean’s words were slightly slurred.  He could see Cas shifting next to him, looking antsy.

 

Strong, thick arms wrapped around him, lifting Dean into the backseat of the car, and he was only a little embarrassed that he leaned into Benny’s grip.  The pain was enough that he was seeking out comfort. Fuck, he wished that Sammy was here. Dean had heard Crowley blathering on about Sam being reprimanded, but he still didn’t get why his brother couldn’t come with. Not that he wasn’t happy Benny was there.  Benny was a great guy and fast becoming a good friend—he just wanted Sam nearby. 

 

An intern named Samandrial was at the wheel and, like Kevin, Dean wasn’t sure the dude was old enough for a driver’s license.  He was all long limbs and fresh-faced cheer. It would have been annoying under normal circumstances, but once he added in the pain, Dean found him to be pretty damn irritating. He didn’t want to be a total ass though, so he tried to just grit his teeth and remain silent.

 

Benny buckled Dean in carefully, doing his best to not jostle his injury, as Cas bobbed behind them attempting to do his job.  He was a little embarrassed that he kept asking if Benny and Cas were coming with. He was sure the studio would have the final edit making him look like a big baby over a stupid broken bone.  

 

“Ready to go, sport?” Benny called.

 

Gritting his teeth, Dean snarled, “I was ready ten minutes ago.”

 

Benny chuckled at him.  “Wasn’t talkin’ to you, brother.  I’d never call you ‘sport.’”

 

“Oh, we need to wait for the other recreational vehicle,” Samandriel told them.  “There’s another contestant that needs to go to the emergency room.”

 

Ugh.  Balthazar.  Dean rolled his eyes and caught Benny doing the same.  “Yeah, we aren’t waiting for them,” Dean said gruffly. Not only was he unwilling to ride in the same car with whiny, asshole Balthy, he was in fucking pain.  “So? When are we leaving?” Dean said, trying to prompt the now nervous intern to get them the hell out of there.

 

“Whenever you’d like to go, Sir!” Samandriel chirped, his eyes darting around as though he was breaking the rules.

 

Dean rolled his eyes again. “Let’s get a damn move on then!”

 

Everyone else climbed in, slamming the doors, and they were off. Benny sat up front, while Dean tucked himself tightly next to Cas, his head resting against Cas’ shoulder.  Thanks to the dashcam set up in all of the cars, Cas didn’t need to film for the ride, and the camera was resting between his feet. He cradled Dean’s good hand, his thumb brushing against Dean’s knuckles.

 

“‘m glad you came with me, Cas.” Dean murmured, his voice still laced with pain.

 

“There’s no place I would rather be, Dean.”

 

Luckily the town of Deer Glen was only fifteen miles away and the drive passed quickly; and because he _wasn’t_ a giant wimp, Dean only made a sound when they hit a pothole, which was perfectly acceptable when one had a fractured limb. 

 

Thanks to the fast work of the production crew for calling ahead, a nurse was already waiting with a wheelchair at the ambulance bay. With a groan, his face now ashen, Dean climbed out of the car with Benny’s help.  Nearby, Cas grimaced as he. picked up the camera to resume filming, his distaste for his current assignment clear on his features. 

 

The emergency room was small, which was unsurprising for a town the size of Deer Glen.  There were only about ten beds and an incredibly small waiting room. While everything looked sparkling clean and well-maintained, the decor was rather dated.  As they wheeled past the registration desk, Dean remembered that he didn’t have his wallet or insurance card. They’d gone straight from the woods to the hospital.  When he tried to mention it to the staff member pushing his chair, she just shook her head and smiled at him. 

 

“You don’t need it, Dean,” Cas said in a low tone. “The studio will be covering any costs.”

 

“I’m gonna need that in writing, ba—buddy,” Dean caught himself just in time. 

 

“I’m sure that Crowley and the studio lawyer will be able to assist with that.”  Cas stepped back as they arrived in an empty bay, filming once more. His mouth was set and he looked almost as bad as Dean felt. 

 

Almost before Dean could blink, he was settled on a patient bed.  A gown was tossed at him after he bitched when someone brandished scissors, threatening to cut off his shirt. “No one touches the Zeppelin, dude—back off!”  Once he was wearing the humiliating bright yellow, and almost indecently threadbare gown, he’d hardly settled in before a young nurse was inserting his IV. She’d also been kind enough to dump a syringe full of clear fluid into the tubing which was making him feel floaty. 

 

Once he was hooked up to a rather large bag of saline, and the nurse had left, Benny began to pace.  His sharp, blue eyes were taking everything in around them as they waited for the doctor. It seemed to be a slow time for the small emergency room, with only three beds—besides Dean—being occupied.  Didn’t mean that they weren’t expecting a hell of a wait. Dean had been in enough hospitals in his life for various injuries to know that _nothing_ moved quickly. 

 

Cas hovered, practically outside the privacy curtain with his camera, shooting him increasingly anxious looks. "Cas, ba-man, stop hovering. You're making me nervous." That was another close one. Between the pain, and whatever the nurse put into his IV, Dean was beginning to feel sluggish and loose lipped.  His tongue was heavy and felt as though there was a layer of moss growing on it. It was a gross feeling, but he was so blissed out that it was of little concern. He was still able to focus enough to know that he’d nearly let the nature of his and Cas' relationship slip—and that wasn’t good. If he wanted to stay at the ranch, he needed to play the game; and the game was supposed to be vying for _Gabriel’s_ heart.  He absolutely wasn’t supposed to be lusting after Gabe’s dorky, but insanely hot, baby brother.  At least not publicly.

 

“Get in here,” Dean demanded.  Cas looked like he was going to refuse, but Dean shot him his best imitation of Sammy’s puppy eyes making Cas sigh and come to stand next to Dean’s stretcher.  “That’s better.”

 

And it was. 

 

Xx xXx xX

 

Sam didn’t want to think about the uncomfortable rush of emotions when he’d seen Dean come out of the river with his wrist bent much too far to the side.  He and Dean weren’t strangers to injury—especially Dean, after spending a career in the armed forces. He knew that his brother hadn’t disclosed all of his injuries during that time to him, and Sam was okay with it for the most part.  Dean was allowed to have his secrets after all, just as Sam was. The sight of Dean in pain was still sickening, and the guilt sat heavy in Sam’s stomach. When Crowley had refused to let him accompany Dean to the hospital, something feral and angry rose up inside of Sam.  If Benny hadn’t offered to step in, Sam might have rage quit the show after throwing a few more punches. He was still riding off adrenaline and fury from the fight with that complete _fuck,_ Lucifer, and Sam knew that he wasn’t thinking clearly.  He resigned himself to staying behind and worrying about his brother, instead of being with him every step of the way.  If anything, it made Sam feel even more like a total jerk for the whole situation.

 

He did his best to help collect as much of their mess as he could with everyone else.  Honestly, Ash was about the only person doing anything. Even Sam’s minimal and distracted effort was more than either Ruby or Lisa contributed.  All either of them had suffered was some water, and they were both pouting as though they were the ones on the way to the hospital.

 

The entire time, his mind was churning with the familiar thoughts he hated.  _Worthless.  Stupid. Your fault.  Everyone would be better without you around._   There were more, even less nice things, which Sam forced himself to push down.  He couldn’t afford to break here. Not with cameras around every corner; and especially not with these people.  Now that Cas and Benny had left with Dean, Sam didn’t trust a single person around him. The more horrifying of his sick thoughts was that in case of emergency, in the present company, he’d be more likely to seek out Gabriel simply due to their shared history.  And wasn’t that the kicker? In Sam’s mind, it didn’t speak very well for these people that he would prefer his arch-nemesis over any of them.

 

It was the main reason that when Gabriel fell into step beside him as they began to trek back toward the ranch, that he didn’t automatically stomp away.  He was worried about Dean and consumed with thoughts of how he’d been the cause of hurting his own brother, and Sam knew that he was craving some form of comfort.  If that comfort was only available in the form of a sexy jerk walking next to him, then he’d take it. God, he was twisted.  

 

And then suddenly he was rambling at the man.  Words, spilling from his lips, that he couldn’t stop or control, and Gabriel just _listened_.  The shocker was that when he finally stopped babbling, Gabriel didn’t agree with Sam’s assessment of himself.  His former tormentor had taken his hand, as though it was natural, and Sam had let him. So _of course,_ Gabriel had to be funny and charming and _understanding_ \--everything he _hadn’t_ been in high school.  

 

It was a lie, and Sam had readily admitted it to himself.  Sam would give credit where it was due. Gabriel had always been wonderful to him when he’d gone to Cas’ house to study.  He’d been teasing, but not in the older brother way. It was flirty and fresh and Sam had _craved_ it.  In those moments, Gabriel had been everything that Sam wanted.  It was a big reason why he’d fallen so hard for the older teen. He didn’t want to admit how much it still hurt.

 

When Gabriel had smiled at him and nudged his shoulder, laughing about their brothers and taking Sam’s mind off of their current situation, it had felt so _right._   Sam was upset and still fuming about Lucifer and it felt good to have Gabriel sort of fussing over him.  It didn’t hurt that the man was doing it in front of everyone. Sam knew that the other contestants probably weren’t too happy with him, monopolizing the bachelor’s attention, but he didn’t get a flying fuck about any of them.  He had wanted this man for _decades_ and right now, he was going to indulge himself, just for a moment.

 

They’d walked the short hike back to the ranch, their path just slightly away from the rest of the group.  Gabriel’s fingers were so warm, his smaller hand fitting perfectly into Sam’s. Even the fact that he was nervous and getting slightly clammy palms didn’t make Sam as embarrassed as it usually did.  The trait had been pointed out to him by one of the few dates he’d been on in his life. Ameila had been beyond rude when she’d snorted and yanked her hand away from him. They’d parted ways without even exchanging numbers, and Sam had gotten a lifelong paranoia out of the situation.  But Gabriel hadn’t said anything, and if Sam was honest with himself, he’d barely even noticed. 

 

They didn’t talk about anything very heavy on the short walk, which Sam was grateful for.  His mind couldn’t process much more beyond the fact that Dean was hurt, Lucifer was an ass, he was probably going to get kicked off the show, and that all of this was his fault.  But listening to Gabriel prattle away at his side, about one of his favorite scrub nurses, was just the distraction that he needed. Apparently nurse Jo had a rather famous website where she posted conversations between herself and men that she met on dating sites.  Her wit was rather biting from what Gabriel recounted, but once some of the things the potential dates had said to her were revealed, Sam couldn’t help but applaud her. People could be so horrible sometimes, especially when the internet was a buffer. Yet another reason Sam didn’t date much.  He actually snorted out a laugh at the thought.

 

“What?” Gabriel stopped in the midst of his latest anecdote and smiled up at Sam.

 

“Nothing,” Sam said.  When Gabe didn’t continue, Sam chuckled again and explained.  “I was just thinking about what some of those guys said to your nurse, and how awful it is, and it reminded me why I don’t date.”

 

“You don’t date?” Gabriel quirked an eyebrow.  “I beg to differ Samscraper. You’re dating right now--me specifically.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Sam agreed.  “I meant, normally. This,” he gestured to the nearest camera, “isn’t really my thing.”

 

“Dating on TV?  Or dating in general?” Gabriel asked, as they finally walked up to the sprawling ranch house.

 

“Both.”

 

“You don’t date in the real world?”  
  


“Not really,” Sam ducked his head, a light blush staining his cheeks. 

 

The rest of their party began to drift away, figuring that since the group date had come to such an abrupt end, that they were now free for the rest of the day.  A squeeze to Sam’s hand made him look at Gabriel in the eyes. He actually sucked in a breath at all that sparkling amber, losing himself just a little more.

 

“Why not?”

 

His brow furrowed.  “Why not what?” Sam asked.

 

“Why don’t you date?”

 

Sam could physically feel the blood drain from his face.  He was lightheaded and his stupid palms were getting clammier.  He was such a fucking mess and Gabriel had to go and ask _that_?  Really?  His mind swam, trying to come up with something--anything, really.  He couldn’t tell Gabriel that the reason that he was gun shy about romance was because of _him._   Not only was that so far beyond what Sam was willing to admit to, he was now one-hundred percent certain that Gabe honestly didn’t recognize him.  The sobering thought was like falling through thin ice. His whole body went cold and then painfully hot within seconds. He’d been reasonably sure that Gabriel didn’t remember who he was, and at first, it had worked perfectly with his plans.  But having it thrown in his face this way stung. Sam didn’t want to admit that he’d been holding out hope that Gabriel had been messing with him and that he really _did_ remember his brother’s nerdy friend, Sam Winchester.  It was too much to hope for. Now that he had confirmation, Sam hated how sick it made him feel.  Gabriel Novak didn’t remember him. Sam knew that the only explanation was the simple fact that sixteen year old ‘Sammykins’ hadn’t been important to Gabe in any way.  He burned with embarrassment and shame. At least it was a change from the guilt that had been infecting every cell in his body for the last half hour.

 

“Kiddo?”

 

Sam blinked.  Fuck. He had to say something.  Gabriel was looking at him like he was concerned Sam had a head injury.  He’d been quiet for too long and now it was awkward, but Sam had no idea what to tell the other man.  It had to be something believable that didn’t make him sound like a complete loser. Sam had no idea when he’d started to care about what Gabriel thought about him again, but now that he did, it was everything.  He couldn’t mess this up. What to say? Oh, fuck, what should he say? Words, Sam!

 

“You! Laoch!”  

 

Sam and Gabriel snapped out of their bubble and turned toward Rowena’s lilting voice.  “Yes, you Gigantor,” she snapped her fingers toward Sam. “Get to Fergus’ office. You too, Beelzebub,” she barked out at Lucifer.  “I’ll meet you in there. And better you not touch anything,” she said as an afterthought. “Fergus is very protective of his stupid dogs.”

 

Spending time with Lucifer, while getting scolded by Rowena and Crowley, was way at the top of the list of Things Sam Didn’t Want To Do Ever--but continuing this conversation with Gabriel was literally the first thing on that list, so he took the escape and ran with it.  “Gotta go,” he managed to yell awkwardly as he pulled his hand away and bolted.

 

As he ran away, into the house, Sam could hear Lucifer say, “You know, Novak, if you don’t want to keep chasing skittish wildlife, I’m more refined and easier to catch.”

 

“Thanks, Luci,” Gabriel’s voice floated through the air.  “I’ll take it under advisement.”

 

The statement seemed innocent, but Sam knew what it was.  Lucifer was offering, and Gabe was accepting. He’d been so taken in on their walk down.  Gabriel was wonderful; distracting him, making him laugh, and keeping his mind off of Dean.  He’d been...perfect. So obviously it was a trick. Sam was ashamed that a few kind words could start to kindle the spark he’d used to have for Gabriel once more.  He should have known that Gabriel would never change that drastically. People’s personalities were basically set in stone at the age of three--Sam was pretty sure that was a scientific fact.  Gabriel was still cruel and liked to play with his food. 

 

Fuck, he felt so stupid.

 

Dragging his feet heavily on the floor, Sam wound his way to the corridor off the kitchen where Crowley’s office was located.  During some of the down time, Sam had struck up a few conversations with Kevin. He’d found the young intern to be incredibly intelligent and fun to be around, despite their age difference.  Kevin was the one who’d informed Sam that Crowley maintained an office in all three of the large properties where the show was filmed. Apparently the house in Hawaii was the host’s least favorite to film in because ‘sand is a bloody fuck.’  Whatever that meant. At least Sam knew where he was going, thanks to Kevin.  

 

Still, he was grateful that Rowena had interrupted them, and given Sam an excuse to never answer Gabriel’s prying questions about her personal life ever again.  He was certain that today was his last day anyway. Crowley and Rowena were sure to boot both Lucifer and himself from the show after their little display.

 

Sam reached the large door and snorted at the giant iron door knocker, shaped like a snarling dog, that was mounted in the center.  What kind of a pretentious asshole put a knocker on an interior door?

 

“A pretentious arsehole such as myself,” Crowley said, walking up behind Sam and placing a giant key in the lock, opening the door.  

 

Whoops.  Apparently he’d said that out loud.  Sam had trouble feeling bad about that though--he already had plenty of guilty feelings bashing around in his brain in regards to his brother.  Insulting Crowley barely factored into the greatest hits of Sam’s self-hatred. Even if he had any brain capacity to care, he didn’t even like Crowley--so fuck him.  

 

Rowena and Lucifer were watching them, and Rowena looked ready to burst from holding in laugher.  Lucifer was still glaring, but the corner of his mouth quirked for a split second. Crowley pushed at Sam’s arm, poking at him until he walked into the office first.

 

“Sit,” Crowley barked as they all entered.  The British host made for the incredibly oversized wingback chair situated behind the large black desk, Rowena gliding along beside him.

 

Sam’s mouth dropped open. 

 

He was vaguely aware that Lucifer was standing next to him and they were both goggling at the sight.  There were touches around the room that might be found in the study of any powerful individual, but it was the rest that had them speechless.  

 

Crowley’s office was full of dogs.

 

There were dog statues, dog pictures, dog clocks, big drooling dog bookends, even a little dainty teacup with miniature black dogs dancing around the rim.  It was honestly overwhelming, and frankly, creepy, in Sam’s opinion. The amount of canine knick knacks was at an almost hoarder level, and they were all rather eclectic. When Sam could finally move again, he looked behind him and saw that even the door was flanked by identical, three foot tall, black metal dogs that had large red eyes which looked expensive.  He’d wondered what Rowena had meant about dogs earlier. Now he knew, and he almost wished that he didn’t. 

 

Lucifer had come around quicker than Sam, and was already sitting in a large, mahogany leather armchair, his legs crossed at the ankle as he stared straight ahead.  It took a conscious effort for Sam to pick up his feet and walk the few steps to his own chair. He plopped down with a huff and pointedly tried to stare at a dog-free spot on Crowley’s desk.  He raised his eyes slightly when Crowley began to speak and that’s when he saw it. 

 

A large framed picture on the desk showed Crowley with his arms around an enormous, jet black mastiff.  The dog had strings of drool trailing from its lips as it eyed a plate of raw steak on the table in front of it.  Both Crowley and the dog were wearing miniature, pointed, party hats and a large sign hanging behind them proclaimed, ‘Happy Birthday, Juliet!’  So...Crowley was _that_ guy. 

 

He forced his eyes away from the odd sight and looked up at Crowley and Rowena, attempting to absorb what they were even saying.  “...love your enthusiasm.”

 

“What?”  Sam blinked. 

 

“We love your verve, your zest, spirit, zeal, pep, effervescence—pick a bloody adjective, Moose.” Crowley said sardonically. 

 

“You do?” He had no idea where any of this was going. Sam had thought that they were being reprimanded, but now his attitude was being praised.  What was happening?

 

“Oh yes,” Rowena cooed, from her perch on the arm of Crowley’s chair.  “You two brawny gallowglasses, with your fire and passion, clashing mightily for true love!”  She pretended to fan herself and batted her lashes at both of them. 

 

It certainly wasn’t a fight over true love.  More like, defending honor. Every last one of Sam’s muscles froze as he recalled what had happened in the woods. 

 

_Seeing Gabriel showering attention on Benny was just too much. Sam’s rib cage felt like it was in a vice grip and something was about to give.  He’d been pretty pissed when both Dean, and the arrival of the ATVs, had blocked his attempt to put distance between himself and Gabe once more.  Dean meddled too much for his own good. Usually Sam tolerated it, but today, he wasn’t in the fucking mood._

 

_Once Ash was finished humiliating Sam—and Ruby—with his demonstrations, Dean had predictably picked up right where he’d left off.  He kept bugging Sam, asking what was wrong, and why he kept bitching about fish. Finally, Sam had just given in. It was easier to just say what Dean wanted to hear—it certainly shut him up faster.  Sam had barely given his reluctant agreement to talk later before Dean was off and prowling around Cas like a damn tiger._

 

_Sam did his best to concentrate on casting his line and resisting the urge to look down the bank where Gabriel was fishing.  It didn’t work very well. Every few minutes, he’d discreetly glance over at the short surgeon. The most unsettling thing of all though, was that Sam’s first thought wasn’t of those gorgeous eyes sparkling with mocking laughter.  Instead, he kept seeing them looking thunderstruck as Dam lifted Gabe onto the horse during their first solo date. He saw the corners crinkle as Gabriel playfully argued with him about Stephan King. The delight when Sam was declared winner of that ridiculous eating competition.  Sam recalled the moment that their eyes met over Benny’s shoulder and how Gabe’s stunning golden eyes looked dull and abnormally cheerless in that moment. Sam was so lost in his thoughts, and revelling in the stolen glances that he didn’t notice Lucifer sliding up next to him until his horrible roommate spoke._

 

_“Having fun, Samuel?”_

 

_Sam ignored him and cast his line out with an easy swing of his arm.  Lucifer wasn’t one to give up, so he inched even closer, setting Sam’s ears ringing.  Just as he did every night when they were alone in their room without cameras, Lucifer began to make snide comments about everything from Sam’s toothpaste brand, to his flannel.  The remarks about his ‘elegant lady hair,’ rubbed him raw, but Sam still managed to clench his teeth and not engage. It did nothing to dissuade Lucifer from his cruel observations, but at least Sam wasn’t giving the jerk what he wanted--attention._

 

_During their stay at the ranch, Sam had become almost desensitized to Lucifer.  Sure, the words hurt, but Sam had years of experience in brushing off most taunts.  It wasn’t especially difficult when the words were coming from someone who’s opinion meant nothing to Sam.  He closed his eyes and began to reel his line back in, remembering his yoga instructor, Jessica’s teachings.  Breathe. In and out, slowly, Sam--relax. He’d almost managed to convince himself that he was perfectly happy in that moment when Lucifer’s snobbish voice broke through, catching Sam’s attention with the one word that never failed to get through to him.  Gabriel._

 

_“I’m sure I could bag his little ass in under a week if I really put my mind to it,” Lucifer smiled coldly.  “What do you say, Sam? Care to make a bet with me? First one to get the pint-sized slut ass up wins first shower for the rest of our time here?” Sam tried to fight down a growl. “Not that it will be that difficult, I’m sure,” Lucifer continued. “With Gabriel’s mediocre looks, he seems like he’d go for anyone—even trash like you.”_

 

_That’s when Sam punched him._

 

_Lucifer fell backwards, knocking into Ruby who’d been eavesdropping and snickering at them.  Ruby had ended up being pushed into the large open cooler where the newly caught fish were waiting for transport back to the ranch. The sight of someone—even a bitch like Ruby—on the ground surrounded by shimmering dead fish carcasses brought Sam to a halt. The smell of fish wasn’t anywhere near rotting, but it was enough to trigger his brain into a slideshow of memories that he didn’t want.  The simple pause was enough for Lucifer to scramble to his feet and sock Sam right in the jaw._

 

_Things got messy after that._

 

Sam blinked and let out a stale breath of air.  Rowena was still waxing poetic about the ‘rippling man muscles’ and the ‘fervor of fisticuffs for love,’ all while staring at Lucifer who was preening at the attention.  Crowley looked like he wanted to either vomit or slap her—most likely both. “Yes. The Fight Club Reenactment was just what we were looking for,” their host finally interrupted the petite woman’s gushing.

 

“Every episode can use some spice and you two were flawless,” Rowena broke in again.  “So masterful.” Sam didn’t miss how her eyes tracked down Lucifer’s entire body once more. 

 

“Why are we here?  Sam shook his head, trying to make sense of what was going on.

 

“Just checking in,” Rowena smiled.  “We wanted to congratulate you on that brilliant display--”

 

“And make sure that we don’t need to call in the studio’s lawyers,” Crowley cut her off.

 

At Crowley’s raised eyebrow, asking a silent question, both Sam and Lucifer finally looked at one another.  Lucifer was scowling, looking as though he absolutely wanted to speak to a lawyer. It was the last thing that Sam wanted, but he tried to look as passive as possible.  He knew that Lucifer was likely going to do whatever would make Sam uncomfortable. After a few beats, his roommate turned back to Crowley and Rowena and spoke. “I don’t need to speak with the lawyers.  It would be a waste of time to sue someone such as Samuel, seeing as he has nothing of value.”

 

Sam clenched his fists in his lap.  He was itching to punch that fucking smirk off of Lucifer’s face again.  He managed to center and calm himself picturing Lucifer being hit repeatedly by a giant school bus.  It was enough for him to fake a smile and agree that he didn’t need to speak with anyone either.

 

Crowley handed them more paperwork saying that they wouldn’t see reparations against the studio or one another for the ‘altercation.’  Sam signed it without even reading, which was unlike him. He just wanted to get out of there and find some private corner of the ranch where he could simply scream into the void.

 

“Now that we have that settled,” Crowley leaned back into his chair after he’d tucked their signed papers away in a locked drawer.  “We need to discuss room assignments. Seeing as that wasn’t a scripted fight, are the two of you still fine sharing a space? Or do we need to relocate one of you?”

 

“I refuse to sleep in the same room as the man who attacked me without provocation,” Lucifer said.  “I’d be too fearful for my safety.” He paused dramatically.  

 

“Well,” Rowena spoke up in an oddly sultry tone.  “My room is always available for another occupant.”

 

Lucifer and Sam eyed her warily for a moment before Lucifer looked back to Crowley and said, “I also think that since Sam was the one to cause this mess that he should be the one who has to move.”  Rowena visibly slumped and it was almost comical.

 

Sam was pleased that Crowley seemed to find Lucifer just as ridiculous and obnoxious as he did.  “Fine,” the host said. “Moose, you’ll switch with Bloody Beak when he gets back from the hospital.  You can have the single--that way you won’t have a roommate to ‘attack in the night.’” Crowley rolled his eyes.  “I would suggest that you begin collecting your belongings. You’ll be in your new accommodations by this evening.”

 

“Great,” Sam said lifelessly.  “Is there anything else? Or can I go now?”

 

Crowley waved at them uncaringly.  “Dismissed.”

 

Sam stood and stalked out of the office, only pausing minutely as he walked past the two large dog statues guarding the doorway.  He wanted to get out of the presence of all of those disturbing, staring dogs. More than that, he needed to not be anywhere near his psychotic _ex_ -roomate.

 

When he reached his room, Sam didn’t waste any time, gathering up the few things that he’d unpacked during his stay.  He hadn’t planned on staying very long after he’d originally realized that Gabriel was the bachelor, so he’d kept most of his stuff inside his bag.  Funny how things worked out. He did have to fetch his toothbrush and razor from the bathroom, along with his shampoo--he paid a lot for a customized product and he wasn’t about to leave it for Satan.  It took less than five minutes to have all of his crap packed away into the worn duffel bag.

 

The very last thing to do was grab his charger and phone off of the bedside table.  He walked around the bed and that was when he saw the note. A small, white, envelope was sitting on the edge, with his cell phone resting on top to make sure that Sam wouldn’t miss it.  His name was scrawled across the top in a blocky print. He knew that it hadn’t been there when he’d left that morning for the disastrous fishing date, which piqued his curiosity.

 

Sam slid his finger under the flap and opened the letter.  It was a plain, card stock; the front showing a breathtaking picture of the ranch at sunset.  He’d seen them lying about for the guests to use, but he’d never taken advantage of them. There weren’t many people that he’d want to write to.  Dean was here, and his coworkers weren’t an option. Marv would probably throw it out without opening; whereas Becky might frame it...or use it in some sort of creepy love ritual, which Sam didn’t even want to think about.  He did make a mental note to snag a handful of them to take with him when he inevitably left for good.

 

_Sam,_

 

_Meet me tonight at the hot tub once the sun goes down.  We need to talk._

 

There was no signature, but Sam knew who it was from.  Obviously Dean had sent someone from the staff or crew to leave him a note before being taken to the hospital.  Now that he knew Dean wasn’t going to let him wiggle out of it, Sam was regretting that he agreed to tell Dean ‘everything,’ later.  He’d have to figure out just what ‘everything’ encompassed. Obviously not all of it. Sam would have to employ the usual Winchester tactics.  They both kept each other on a ‘need to know basis’ for lots of personal things, and Sam’s painful history with Gabriel did not need to be detailed.  Especially since Sam was reasonably certain that the local hospital could handle Dean’s broken wrist, they probably weren’t equipped for a major blunt force trauma; which is what would happen when Dean beat Gabriel with a hammer if Sam was stupid enough to be completely honest about their shared past.  Dean was much too protective, and could be a little overzealous on occasion, so Sam knew that he had to tread carefully.

 

He stuffed the note deep into his bag before zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder.  There was no way that he was going to stay here and wait. He refused to deal with Lucifer right now.  It wouldn’t end pretty for anyone if Sam didn’t have time to cool down. Leaving the room and wandering down the hallway with his things, Sam figured that he may as well wait in the library until Balthazar returned so they could officially switch rooms.

 

Sam dropped his bag next to his favorite squashy chair in the library and went to look at the selection.  He was trailing along one shelf when it caught his eye--a hardcover copy of Stephan King’s ‘The Stand.’ Purely out of habit, he grabbed it and flipped it open to check.  While the cover was a less popular design, and it was worth a little bit, it wasn’t the signed and numbered first edition that he’d been tirelessly searching for. Probably for the best, because he’d have been tempted to steal it if it had been.

 

For lack of anything else, Sam returned to his seat and arranged himself comfortably, one of his long legs dangling over the chair’s arm.  He could settle in with a comfortable favorite while he waited to meet up with Dean.  

 

It wasn’t long before Sam was swept away in the dystopian world of the superflu, eagerly following the quests of the beloved characters.  He almost forgot where he was and why he was there. As he read about Stu, and Ralph, and Larry, and Glen, Sam could appreciate that while his current situation wasn’t ideal, at least he wasn’t trying to save the world from evil.  Thank god for small favors.

 

Xx xXx xX

 

Cas sighed heavily at the state of his boyfriend. They hadn't actually had _that_ conversation yet—seeing as they’d only met recently, and it was probably too soon—but seeing Dean sitting in that generic hospital gown that was fraying at the neck, waiting to have his wrist attended to, _did things_ to Cas. He wanted Dean.  He wanted that man for as long as Dean would have him.  Castiel wanted Dean in every way that he could possibly have him.  Boyfriend was the term he wanted to use and there was no harm in him thinking the words to himself. 

 

"Penny for your thoughts." Cas smiled at Dean's dopey grin, and was just about to answer him when the doctor finally walked in.

 

"Sorry for the delay, I hear we have a celebrity." The doctor who's name tag read "Dr. Masters" was a slender blonde who smiled at each of them, her hands tucked into the pockets of her dark blue scrubs.

 

"Nah, not a celebrity. Me and the Ragin' Cajun here are supposed to try to get into the pants of a sugar addicted munchkin."

 

Doctor Masters barked out a laugh as Benny shot her a small salute. "That sounds like fun,” she teased. “I think you're properly drugged up for your wrist to be set." Her eyes flashed over to Cas, who had been warily watching her. "And what about you, tall, dark and handsome?” She practically purred. “You know, you look like the guy that was in the... _video_ I watched last night.  The babysitter and the pizza man. I think I have a few slices of double meat left, whaddya say? Wanna move some furniture around later?"

 

Cas coughed nervously and shook his head.  From the drugged up frown on his lover’s face, the doctor’s blatant proposition hadn’t escaped Dean.  “I’m just here to film for the show.” Besides the fact that the doctor was making him nervous, it still remained that he was strictly into penis. Specifically, Dean’s penis. Not to mention, the Firefly from Hell would have his ass if the filming wasn’t done as she’d wanted.

 

Doctor Masters shot him a rueful grin as she eyed him up and down. “Pity. I bet I could show you a thing or two.”

 

“Blondie, he likes dick. You’re wasting your time.” Dean sniped.  Of course, he then immediately began giggling at the shocked look on Cas’ face, which dulled his warning.

 

“All the hot ones are. Alright, let’s get this cast on you.”

 

While Dr. Masters and a nurse set Dean’s arm, Cas had to keep moving away from Dean because the little brat kept reaching out and rubbing his ass.  There was no way that he was going to pop a chub in the middle of an emergency room! He might be sleeping with one of the contestants behind his bosses’ backs, but he wasn’t unprofessional enough to flaunt it.

 

“You have pretty eyes, Cas.” Dean smiled, all gummy as he looked up at Cas.

 

Cas wanted to preen like a peacock at the compliment but he was all too conscious of the camera in his hand. “I think you’re high as a kite from these meds, Dean.”

 

“Possibly. I can’t feel my face so you might be onto something there angel. But you do have pretty eyes. Like shiny sapphires….” Dean trailed off as he began to poke at his face. “I really can’t feel anything. Cool!”

 

“Brother, I bet we could get your darkest secrets out of you right now,” Benny was laughing.

 

“Good meds aren’t they?” Dr. Masters grinned as a nurse put a dark green cast on his wrist. “Luckily your break wasn’t too bad, but you’ll need to wear this for a few weeks.”

 

As they finished, Dr. Masters informed them that as soon as they got the discharge papers, and the prescription for pain medication, they could leave.  Knowing that would be a good enough amount of footage to appease Rowena, Cas turned off the camera, setting it down on the floor with relief. Now that he didn’t have to film for the show, he was free to claim his boyfriend’s lips, not caring if Benny was watching and playfully rolling his eyes at them.

 

“I’m so glad you’re all right, Dean.” Cas mumbled as he kissed the constellation freckles on his lover’s face.

 

“I’m fine Cas. Trust me, I’ve had worse.” Castiel wasn’t convinced, but he nodded anyway before sitting down at the end of the bed, while Benny took the chair. “Ya know, I really think Sammy is in love with Gabe. You notice how he gets all moon faced around him? He tries to hide it but he totally wants to take a ride on Munchkin Mountain.”

 

Benny snorted a laugh and then shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought.  “You’re Sam’s brother and know him better than us. What do you suggest then? They seem to take a step forward, and then two steps back.” 

 

“I jus’ don’t get why he was so pissy today when we went fishing. That wasn’t the Sammy I know.  Actin’ like a preteen with hurt fucking feelings. He kept talking about little fishy eyes. What?”

 

Both Dean and Benny dissolved into giggles at Dean’s ramblings, for vastly different reasons.  “I like stoned Dean,” Benny smiled.  

 

“I know why.” Cas spoke up, drawing attention with his melancholy voice.  Dean and Benny quieted and turned to him, waiting expectantly. With a deep, sucking breath, Cas just went for it and word vomited at them.  “I know that I’ve told you that Sam and Gabriel had a tumultuous relationship when we were young.” Dean nodded. “Back in high school, not long after he and I had become friends, Sam had a secret admirer.”

 

“That’s cute,” Dean interrupted.  Cas indulged him, knowing that even if Dean wasn’t firing on all cylinders that once he heard the whole sordid tale, he wouldn’t think it was cute any longer.  Once Benny shushed him, Dean flopped deeper into his pillow and stared, waiting for more.

 

“It wasn’t all that cute, Dean,” Cas whispered.  “The secret admirer would leave little notes or some treats in his locker.  Sam didn’t know how they were breaking in, but he was enjoying it, so he didn’t seem to mind.  It went on for weeks,” Cas explained. “And to me, it was obvious that he was falling for whoever was behind it.”  This was it. The moment when Dean would probably ‘flip shit,’ as Gabriel would say, despite the dulled senses. A soft puff of air passed Cas’ lips as he steeled himself.  “Before winter break, he was told he would have a special surprise waiting. What he found when we came back to school after two weeks off was a locker full of dead fish. All of the popular kids were there, laughing at him.  Gabriel too. He was rather well-liked back then,” Cas trailed off.

 

“That’s fucked up,” Benny broke in, his normally easy-going features hardened like stone.

 

Dean’s face was set and he looked beyond irritated, even with the drugs coursing through his veins.  Castiel knew that he had to rip off the rest of the bandage, as it were. “That’s not the worst part,” he said.  Dean’s eyes snapped to him and Cas worried his lip. “It turned out that the secret admirer was actually Gabriel playing a cruel trick on Sam.”

 

“Gabriel?! What the fuck, Cas?”  Dean pushed himself up onto the stretcher, as though he would storm out and run straight back to the ranch to seek revenge.  “I’m gonna kill ‘em! That little Ewok is going down!” 

 

“Dean, relax. Please let me finish.” Cas ran a shaky hand through his hair.  “Gabriel was going through a difficult time then, which I somewhat explained to you that first day.”

 

“No excuse, Cas.” Dean looked murderous and unfocused, which would have been funny under other circumstances.  

 

“I know it was a hard time for them both,” Cas pushed on.  “We used to study together at my house, and Gabriel would sometimes join us.  I could see that Sam had begun to think of my brother as something more. His ‘crush’ was rather evident.  After the fish, Sam refused to come back and we began to study in the library again. For the next several weeks, when we were together, Sam cried on my shoulder more than we studied.  I was just grateful that he still wanted to associate with me after what my brother had done. We were new in town and Sam was just about my only friend. Gabriel’s prank hurt more than just Sam.”  Castiel made sure to meet Dean’s eyes. “It hurt him too, Dean. It did. Gabriel refused to say a word on the subject, no matter how hard I pressed. But I think--I _know_ that he regretted his actions.  He liked Sam.”

 

“Not buying it,” Dean grumbled.  “I know that Sam said Gabe bullied him, but I didn’t know it was a trick that was planned out for weeks, like a freaking murder!”

 

“Why would he do something like that to a person he liked?” Benny asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Castiel admitted.  “As I said, he wouldn’t talk about it.  I only know what his circumstances were at the time and I can say with confidence that my brother was not in a good place during that time in our lives.  It doesn't excuse it, I know,” he looked at Dean again, his eyes pleading. “I think Gabriel was in love with Sam.” He rushed on before Dean could continue.  “And I think that they both still care for each other. I am confident that we can get them together. They need each other.”

 

Dean didn’t seem to have anything to say to that.  The silence in the room as each man was consumed with their own ideas was smothering.  After about a half an hour, they were thankfully distracted by Doctor Masters bringing Dean his discharge papers, along with his prescription for pain pills. "Alright cutie, you're all set to go. I hope I don't see you back here, injured at least."

 

With a wink, she departed, prompting Benny to stand up and roll his broad shoulders. "I'll go out and call for the car, you stay here with the drugged up beauty."

 

Cas chuckled, his fingers curled up around Dean's good hand. They both waited for Benny to pull the privacy curtain and walk away before turning to one another again. Cas grinned with contentment as Dean laid his head against his shoulder.  It felt like something big to Cas; something monumental.

 

"Does this mean I get sponge baths until this comes off?" At Cas' playful glare, Dean pouted. "Take pity on me babe, I am injured. And on some pretty powerful meds."

 

Cas leaned closer, until his lips were at Dean's ear. "If you are very, very good, I'll give you whatever you want."  The shiver it pulled from Dean was the perfect reaction, and Castiel couldn’t hide his own smug smile. 

 

"I'll hold you to that, Cas."

 

After a few moments of contented silence, Cas brought up what had been on his mind for most of the day. More like, what had been on his mind since the beautiful freckled brat came into his life.  He knew that now was most likely the only window he would have to both have privacy, and Dean’s total honesty. 

 

"Where are we Dean?"

 

"Uh, pretty sure we're at the 'mergency room." Dean looked around with a dopey grin on his face, nose wrinkled cutely. 

 

"Yes, we are, Dean. I mean, where are we with our relationship?"

 

Dean groaned and Cas instantly tensed, fearing he had read the past few days wrong.

 

"Look, Cas, I've never been the whole 'let's discuss our feelings' type of guy. I don't do chick flick moments." Cas turned his head away from Dean, swallowing hard.

 

_I'm not going to cry._

 

Fuck.

 

"Cas, please look at me." He felt Dean's strong and slightly calloused fingers on his cheek and he instinctively leaned into the touch.

 

"I never thought I would be a chick flick guy until I met you. I want to do all those things. I want to watch a sunset with you during a picnic. I want to snuggle with you under the stars. I want all of that and more. What do you want Cas?"

 

"I just want you. Any way that I can get you."

 

Dean chuckled. "I'm not the type to do the whole Facebook announcement, but if it's what you want, I'll do it for you. I want to be with you.  Exclusively,” he clarified. “What do you say? Boyfriends?"

 

Cas let out a relieved laugh and happily claimed Dean's lips. "Boyfriends."

 

It sounded damn good to finally say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laoch is Gaelic for warrior, pronounced "lay-uk"  
> Gallowglass and the like were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were pricipally of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Scotland in the 13th and 16th Century. Rowena may be thirsty, but she's clever.
> 
> Note from CrowleyLovesUSUK: Sam's reaction to Crowley and Juliet's birthday photo is not meant as a dig (from us as authors) to anyone who celebrates with their own fur babies; it is just that--Sam's reaction. As for Creature Celebrations--I do it too. My esteemed feline life companion, Mr. Poe, gets a little birthday party every year...and on his Gotcha Day...and for all major holidays...and Tuesdays...Pets are awesome!

**Author's Note:**

> 🍭If you feel the desire to poke at us, we are both on Tumblr.
> 
> crowley-loves-usuk   
> OR  
> bulletnipples 
> 
> In case there was any doubt as to our names 😂🤣
> 
> Happy Shipping! 🍭


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